By the light of the moon
by Sandrine C
Summary: Sequel to "Blink"  AU after 2x08 , Damon and Elena deal with their new relationship as a prophecy unfolds, bringing to Mystic Falls old enemies and a power none of them expected.
1. Chapter 1

**By the light of the moon**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.**

**Chapter 1: All roads lead home**

"What news do you bring me?" the regal voice demanded as if he didn't already know what he was about to be told.

"She has succeeded, my liege," the servant answered with a dramatic bow, "Elijah is dead. So is a Bennett witch and that Rose as well. The older Lockwood has also been killed. But the shaman, the brothers and the doppelganger have all survived with _her._ Katerina has set the prophecy in motion."

"And she doesn't even realize what she has done," Klaus said his face expressionless save for his eyes that now glinted with restrained pleasure and malice, "Perfect, Katerina. Just perfect."

"How do we proceed from here, my liege?" the servant asked, head still slightly down with eyes careful never to stray to his master's face.

Klaus turned and walked deliberately to the lone window in the room, fingers dancing in the first rays of sunlight of the day, "It would be unfair to let Katerina do all the work. And besides, I should like to meet the one the prophecy speaks so highly of. We go to Mystic Falls. Poetic how it will all end where it all began. It is time to go home."

* * *

Katherine held Stefan immobile in her steely gaze, her fists clenched tightly on her sides as she carefully circled the blackness that separated them. The cave was silent, hauntingly still, save for the few drops of water that fell from the ceiling down to the bottomless pit that faced both of them.

"Stefan, don't you dare do this. Back off." Katherine hissed in warning

Stefan only smiled at her, a trace of sadness in his eyes as he did, "Don't fight my fate for me, not when I've accepted it."

"I won't let you," Katherine replied, determined but her voice wavering slightly, betraying her fear, "This is _my_ chance at a _future_, Stefan. Think about it—I won't be a threat to Elena anymore. Isn't that what you've wanted?"

"Katherine," Stefan sighed in frustration, "We both know every other reason is insignificant at this point. This is my role to play. Will you please just promise me that you'll get me out of this cave and back to Mystic Falls? We don't have time, Katherine…you know that. This is our only chance to get through this alive."

"Even in the face of certain death you're still so noble, Stefan," Katherine said, "There is _always_ another way. We can _run_, Stefan. We don't have to be a part of it. Let them deal with it. I don't care and neither should you because this isn't about _us_."

"That's a lie and you know it," Stefan countered, "The fallout from this will be catastrophic enough that we'll never be able to hide from it. Game over, Katherine. I have to do this."

"No," Katherine said sharply, "Stefan, you don't. I've waited too long for this. I've planned my entire existence around this moment and no prophecy will stop me. I don't care if the world crumbles at my feet tonight—I'm the one turning into a human, not you."

Stefan just looked at her, unsettling Katherine with his weary gaze, every inch of him resigned yet completely determined to see it through, "Promise me, Katherine."

And without waiting for a response, he plunged into the unseen depths, Katherine's scream trailing behind him. Her fear of losing him clear and piercing, a sound that clawed at his heart before he blacked out and gave in to the darkness.

* * *

"Normal is overrated," Damon muttered grumpily as he picked out popcorn from his seat before settling back in, "and I also refuse to believe that _this_ is normal. Two vampires, a werewolf and an irritating, though breathtaking, human on a double-date will never pass for normal."

"And what would you rather have us do, Damon? Wear black, night-vision goggles and break into a blood bank?" Elena replied, her face a mask of indifference as she started on her popcorn, staring at the blank movie screen in front of them.

"I don't need night-vision goggles," Damon huffed as he turned towards the screen as well, "Seriously, Elena, this sucks. You don't even have butter on your popcorn. What does that even taste like?"

"Hey!" Elena said as she swatted his hand away when he tried to get a piece, "Eat your own. You don't insult my popcorn and still get some."

Damon stuck out his bottom lip like a child, his eyes bright with mischief as he addressed her, "Please, Elena?"

Elena shook her head, trying but failing to hide her smile, and extended her bucket of popcorn to him.

"See, was that so hard?" Damon said grabbing a handful, eating one piece and then making a face as he chewed but finished off everything with a sarcastic smile on his face when Elena raised her eyebrows at him.

"Will you two behave?" Caroline hissed, "The movie is starting! It's hard enough that I can hear every little thing in this theater but do you have to add your cheesy flirty little fight to it? It's just popcorn—relax, will you?"

Elena settled back in her seat as the lights flickered signaling the start of the previews, picking kernels off Damon's bucket every time he picked a piece from hers until the finally swapped just as the movie was about to start.

"Hey!" Damon exclaimed when the first scene appeared onscreen, "This isn't what we were supposed to watch! This is a sappy romantic comedy! Elena! You switched!"

Elena smirked and continued watching, ignoring Damon who kept muttering under his breath until Caroline finally reached over and pinched him hard on the arm, putting considerable strength in it until Damon finally reacted, "Fine! Fine! I'll shut up."

"Juvenile," Damon said in a low voice, causing Elena to shake her head as she fended off Caroline's hand from slapping Damon on the shoulder.

"Enough, let's just watch okay?" Elena said with barely contained laughter over their antics, waiting only a few seconds until the two grunted their agreement to a truce for the rest of the movie.

The peace lasted only a minute before a low grumbling sounded just loud enough for supernatural hearing to pick up, prompting Caroline's annoyance to surface again, "Cut it out, Damon. Can you just not be annoying for 2 hours?"

"What? What did I do? That's not…" Damon said slowly, finally putting the pieces together,"…me. Elena, we have to go_ now_."

"What? Why?" Elena asked, quite confused as Damon dragged her up, protests ringing loudly in their ears as they blocked the movie screen, "What is happening?"

As soon as the question left her lips, an explosion tore through the cinema, debris falling around them as pandemonium erupted blanketed by random electric sparks that lit up the horrified expressions that surrounded her. In a few seconds chaos overtook the entire crowd that was now trying to force its way out of the room.

"Damon!" Elena coughed out as she realized his hand slipped from hers and she was slowly being dragged by the throng of people, in clear danger to be mauled over any second, "Damon!"

Panic seized her as people crushed her as they fought to get out via the lone exit that wasn't caved in from the blast. Elena felt bruises forming on her arms and her sides as she struggled against the crowd but in minutes she was being pulled under the stampede.

"Damon!" Elena called out, her voice severely muffled by the other screams.

"Don't worry, I got you," said a strong voice, steady as the grip that pulled her out and pushed back the crowd as he guided her safely outside.

"Elena!" Damon said rushing towards her, pushing people left and right, not caring if they fell or knocked over others in the process, "Are you alright? I'm sorry. I didn't know what was happening. One minute I was holding you and then you were just gone."

"I'm fine, I'm fine, Damon. This guy helped me…."Elena said turning to the stranger, seeing him clearly for the first time, struck completely by his eyes—grey, practically silver in the moonlight. His dark hair unruly but in perfect disarray, reminding him of a Damon from the earlier days she knew him but without the hard edge of a century of obsession over Katherine.

"Nick. My name is Nick," the stranger said, extending his hand towards Elena, who shook it as if in a trance.

"Okay," Damon said taking his hand from Elena's and shaking it vigorously, "She's Elena and I'm Damon. Thank you for saving her but now we're going because her friends are worried sick and are still looking for her. Right, Elena, we need to go and tell them you're still one piece, albeit suddenly mildly crazy and out of it?"

"Oh, yeah, thanks Nick." Elena said finally snapping out of it, placing her hand firmly in Damon's.

"Anytime, Elena," Nick said with a sincere smile, making a gesture with his hand as if tipping his hat to her.

"Yeah, yeah, like there are not enough volunteers to be her hero. There's not going to be another time for you buddy, not if I have anything to do about it," Damon muttered as they drifted away from Nick, holding Elena tightly with one arm.

"Are you okay?" Damon finally asked, gentle and reassuring.

"I'm fine…but please promise me you'll try harder not to let go next time?" Elena said trying to make light of the situation in a weak attempt to quell the sense of foreboding rising in her as the reality of what happened kicked in.

"I didn't let you go, Elena," Damon said darkly, stopping in the middle of the street, madness still surrounding them as he pulled Elena to face him, "You were _wrenched _away from my hand. I don't let go of things that matter to me."

Nick watched from a distance as Damon pulled Elena into his arms, kissed the top of her head and appeared to whisper assurances, promises or lies to her. He smiled as they walked away, arm in arm as another pair rushed towards them in a flurry of hand gestures and relieved expressions.

He stepped back further into the darkness a split second before Elena turned around and scanned the crowd, a small frown on her face, before Damon tugged on her arm and placed his protectively over her shoulders. A smile spread on Nick's face as he looked over the madness before him, a look of amusement crossing his face as he recalled how Elena looked back, seemingly searching for someone, a face in the crowd—_his._

"Soon, Elena," Nick whispered, "You'll know everything. Not now. But _soon."_


	2. Chapter 2: Every ending has a beginning

**By the light of the moon**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.**

**Chapter 2: Every ending has a beginning**

"_A full scale investigation is underway to determine the cause of the explosion last night at the local cinema however no clear leads have surfaced on who is behind it…"_

Elena stared at the television, transfixed at the sight she witnessed firsthand the night before, finally grasping the horror of the situation. The adrenaline rush of trying to get out, almost being trampled and being miraculously pulled out by a stranger finally wore off and she stood in the middle of her living room watching the camera pan over the wreckage, practically able to smell the stench of destruction.

"Wanna cut class today?" Damon said casually, leaning against the wall as he watched Elena intently, his own eyes drawn to the images flashing on the screen, "You look like someone in dire need of a distraction or a drink. Just say the word and I'll break rules with you, my personal preference being running from this town."

"Damon Salvatore running from the action instead of being in the middle of it—I never would have imagined it. Weren't you the troublemaker, once upon a time, whose only goal was to bring misery to town? And now you'd rather run? The shame," Elena teased, deflecting her own urge to run and just forget how she seemed to be hunted down by trouble.

Damon shook his head and shrugged, "I didn't have anyone to keep safe back then, especially not someone constantly in mortal peril. Apparently even a quiet night at the movies is too dangerous. I've been on the internet since last night trying to find the safest, read: most boring, place on this planet to keep you in."

"And what have you found?" Elena asked, amused by his behavior, finally tuning out the sound of the television and missing out on a glimpse of her being pulled to safety by the devastatingly handsome stranger.

"That those little pop ups are annoying and that I can buy practically anything I want online—we're talking every imaginable variation of a black shirt. But on the safest place—I think you're good where you are as long as I'm around…or some random stranger is up to saving you." Damon said his eyes narrowing slightly at the memory.

"Jealous?" Elena said smirking, watching Damon's eyes become slits as he closed the gap between them.

"Weren't you ever taught _not_ to talk to strangers?" Damon spat out his frustration, "You can't trust someone who got lucky and caught your hand—just when it was taken out of mine. Isn't it suspicious his face shows up in town the same night the cinema decided to come crashing down on us? And what is up with remembering his name _with a smile on your face_? Isn't that something that should have been washed away by the trauma?"

Elena bit back a laugh, recognizing how serious Damon was, appeasing him by suddenly reaching out, her arms encircling his waist until he relaxed and pulled her closer.

"I'm not jealous," Damon said with a sigh, his chin resting comfortably on the top of her head "I have prettier eyes. He should be jealous of _me—_for having the girl, the looks and the wit. I just don't trust him, Elena, and neither should you."

"I don't trust him, Damon. I've learned a thing or two since you and Stefan came into my life. The damsel in constant distress is not an idiot," Elena said, "But you have to give people a chance. Not everyone new who comes into our lives will have an ulterior motive. I can't live like that…and I can't run away, not today. I have a life to get back to and a bit of normalcy to hang on to through school. But ask me again in the summer?"

"Sorry, already have plans. See, there's this girl I met and we sort of agreed to meet at this awesome beach at sunset…" Damon said trailing off as Elena punched him in the arm and walked away to get her school bag.

"Alright, I'll cancel. Now who's the jealous one…" he muttered under his breath.

"I heard that," Elena said glaring at him.

"I know. I wouldn't have said it out loud if I didn't want you to hear," Damon said as he walked past her to open the door, "Duh."

Elena threw up her hands in exasperation, "Does every conversation with you have to be impossible?"

"Such a complainer, Elena," Damon said as they walked to his car, "but I'll overlook that since I love you and all."

"And I'm going to let that comment slide because I love you too," Elena said as she got into the passenger seat.

Damon closed the door, a playful smile dancing on his lips similar to Elena. He got into the driver's seat, "Good to know we're still on the same page. I'll cross my fingers it doesn't change anytime soon."

Elena laughed aloud as she looked out the window as Damon pulled onto the road, "You really think after everything we'll change our minds…about us?"

"Not about loving each other, no," Damon said turning serious all of a sudden, "but deciding to stay together is a different question altogether, Elena. Who knows when one of us will suddenly become stupid and feel like it's the brightest idea ever to end this relationship if it will save a life? If you haven't noticed that crossroad is one we often cross in fair Mystic Falls."

"You really don't think we can be selfish and just live with the consequences of staying together?" Elena asked quietly.

"Let's see—I compelled you to forget I told you I love you and then you pestered me until I caved and told you. Then there's you slashing your wrists over that moonstone when I did it to save you. I'd say we have a solid maybe to that question. First instinct to be heroic but somehow we'll always be drawn to each other, like a moth to a flame." Damon said, eyes on the road as his hand found Elena's, "Look, it's too early for us to channel Stefan and start brooding over things that might never even happen. Elijah, the moonstone and Katherine—it's probably not yet the end game but for all we know, the danger has passed and this is already day one of happily ever after."

Damon pulled to a stop in front of the school, switched off the engine and turned to face Elena, "Go to class, doodle my name in the margins of your notebook, pay attention to the teacher when you absolutely have to and laugh with your friends in between. I'll be right here when the bell rings. We'll hold on to whatever you want to call 'normal' for as long as we can. Deal?"

"Deal." Elena said shaking his outstretched hand before surprising him with a quick kiss on the lips, leaving the car almost immediately after.

Damon shook his head, rolling his eyes as he watched her go, laughing to herself as she tried hard not to turn around to see his reaction. Damon began to smile but his face darkened almost immediately as Nick came into view, managing to get Elena to stop and clear out the confused expression on the new boy's face with a helpful gesture towards the right path to his first class. Damon watched them disappear into the building, noting just how Elena never looked back.

* * *

"Ms. Gilbert," Alaric called out sharply, "What is the oldest record of civilization in Mystic Falls… before the town was even founded?"

"I'm sorry?" Elena said, her head snapping in attention focusing finally on the questioning, and mildly disappointed stare of her teacher, "It's…uh…"

"Mystic Falls was the original home of the Aztecs—Aztlan it was called then." Nick answered quietly from behind Elena, "Contrary to the belief that it was somewhere in what we now know as California, this was the actual original settlement of the tribes that eventually left in the wake of a terrible prophecy, driving every single one of them in fear."

"An obscure legend only few are aware of but a legend nonetheless, a myth and certainly not history, Mr…?" Alaric asked.

"Petrov," Nick answered without missing a beat, "I beg your pardon but legends, though seemingly fiction, do have historical significance and may well be rooted in fact—we just don't know it because they lack what we now rely on to declare something as truth. Just because there was no documentary or DNA evidence, it doesn't mean these stories didn't shape history as we know it. Belief can be as powerful as truth."

A cold shiver passed through Elena when she heard his surname, instinctively making her turn towards Bonnie who had a similar look of alarm on her face. Alaric smiled and plowed on, ignoring the small gasp that escaped Elena, "All right Nick, since you're so passionate about this, why don't you tell us what you know and I'll let your classmates try to judge which aspects are rooted in fact and which are pure myth."

"All right," Nick said standing up and taking a seat on the edge of the table in front, appearing comfortable and intense at the same time. His gaze surveyed the room, eyes practically clear as glass in the light that filtered through the room, piercing and holding everyone's attention as he began," Aztlan was remote, a secret, if you will. Whether it was by choice or a natural consequence of the time, it served their purpose well, which was to protect the great power that resided in the land and all the secrets that came with it. By some accounts, it was rich with resources, teeming with life and everything their society needed to subsist independently. However, some accounts speak of something beyond that, a primal energy source far greater than what they could eat, feel or see."

"Sounds like a great place to be. I'm guessing on top of the brilliant scenery, the people were also beautiful?" Caroline said with a faraway look in her eyes.

"It was by no means a paradise—the tribes of Aztlan were vicious and slaves to power in stark contrast to their seemingly peaceful surroundings." Nick continued easily, "In fact, two tribes warred and ruled over the other five. Power changed hands mostly between these two, as easy as night changed into day and vice versa. But one moonless night, a comet streaked through the sky and quite literally a new era was born."

"A comet?" Elena said out loud nervously, trying to shake off the familiarity, "Are you going to talk about star-crossed lovers next?"

Nick shifted so he was staring straight into Elena's eyes, "I wish I could. It would have been a far simpler story to tell," he said almost wistfully, the pain evident in his eyes, "These tribes bred warriors not men, with magic not nurture and that night they succeeded—two male children were born with bloodlust; made to kill the other, mortal enemies from the first second they wailed to signal their arrival in this life. One was sleek and agile, cunning with unmatched grace in battle where the other was practically barbaric in ferocity and strength—equal in the field and primed to kill. These two—they were invincible, practically concentrated power pumping through their veins. They didn't need to feed like normal humans for energy. They could exist on the blood from those they killed—raw human energy."

"Like wild animals?" Tyler asked his jaw clenched in recognition of his own fate in the story, which Caroline noticed and placed a hand on his arm to calm him, remind him where he was.

"Very much like that, yes," Nick replied, curiously noting the simple gesture between Caroline and Tyler, their bond, "The tribes saw the potential and tried to further these opposing bloodlines," Nick continued, his eyes intensely searing into Elena once again, "but someone was wise enough to realize that survival lay not in the ability to conquer but in actually _living_, the man who wielded the power of Aztlan in his hands and created the template from which all warriors were born."

"Let me guess, this guy was a shaman," Alaric said dryly, his voice casual to conceal the unease that was taking over him.

Nick nodded indicating no surprise at his teacher's guess before he went on, "However, he was just one man and he had a wife and daughter to protect. His first instinct was to run. He had no use for power if his family was dead. He could give up the power from the land as long as he kept them safe. But fate decided he had a greater role to play. It was to him that the Aztlan prophecy was given, the horror of which drove him to act and bind the power of all tribes, reducing them to nothing more than creatures who were slaves to their natures."

"The sun and the moon curse," Caroline said in a hollow voice, her initial glee at what started out as a fairy tale turning into a feeling of foreboding that there was still a bigger loose end to this story.

"….is the only thing that survived and was somehow documented. It was an attempted binding that failed because there was a key to breaking it—effective but not foolproof and certainly drives attention away from the right questions to ask, the real point of the fall of Aztlan and why everyone fled from it."

"What is the prophecy?" Elena whispered, meeting Nick's eyes, searching for answers.

Nick merely shrugged and smiled nonchalantly, "No living being knows. Does it matter? Do prophecies, curses and legends have a place in class after all?"

"Not this one, sorry Nick, but that was very entertaining. Thank you," Alaric said clapping his hands, breaking the mood as the bell rang, "For tomorrow, I'd like the real and verifiable answer to my question class. Ms. Gilbert, a word? The rest of you can go."

Elena gathered her things slowly, exchanging a look with Bonnie and Caroline as the rest of the class filed out. She nodded to them and waited until everyone left before approaching Alaric's desk.

"He knows something." Alaric said without beating around the bush, "Curious how his last name is Petrov and even more interesting is that his first day in school is marked by news of something exploding in Mystic Falls."

"You sound like Damon," Elena said with her eyebrows raised.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Alaric said, "But if he sensed it too then I have to say he's got a point. Watch your back, Elena. Even Isobel's research didn't cover as much ground as he did in his storytelling."

"It was just a story…a coincidence…" Elena said weakly, trying to remain in denial.

"…that explains the moonstone and how there's a bigger story behind it," Alaric said, "Elena, tell Damon. Make sure he knows about this. I'll look into it but the more heads we have on this one, the faster we can figure it out. I feel like there's a clock ticking on this one."

"Isn't there always?" Elena said before stepping out, "I'll him but can you do me a favor…can you see if this prophecy is somehow tied to reversing the curse? Turning a vampire human?"

Alaric nodded, "Who wants to be human? Katherine? Damon?"

"No," Elena said smiling sadly, "Stefan."

* * *

"I'll just draw up the papers and then the keys are yours, Mr. Petrov," Jenna said with a bright smile, "Thank you."

"The pleasure is mine, Ms. Sommers," answered Alexander Petrov in a silky voice, steeped in a European accent Jenna couldn't place, "It's such a charming space that I'd hate to see go to waste by some unfortunate fire. A little renovation and it will be good as new."

"Yes, of course," Jenna agreed extending her hand, "Well it was nice meeting you. I'll just call you up when I've got everything ready."

"Until then," Mr. Petrov said giving her a small nod before walking in the opposite direction in search of his car. With a final wave, he got into his car and sped off leaving Jenna alone on the sidewalk.

"A new friend, Jenna?" a voice asked from behind her, startling her.

"Damon!" Jenna admonished, "Can you not sneak up on me like that?"

"I've been standing here for the last ten seconds. Is it my fault you have an unfortunate tendency to be ignorant of your surroundings?" Damon pointed out, "Let me ask again—who was that and why does he have you all smitten? Alaric won't be pleased, Jenna. I hear he's not a fan of blue-eyed strangers who flirt with his women. I should know."

"You are disgusting, Damon!" Jenna said furiously, walking away from him, "Don't add reasons to my list of why I shouldn't tell Elena to stay away from you. I can barely tolerate you as it is. Why can't you be more like your brother? He was actually nice and polite."

"Fine," Damon said rolling his eyes, "Jenna, please, pretty please, tell me who that man was and what he's doing in a building full of vampire ashes?"

Jenna whipped around to face him, clearly struggling whether to answer or to lash out at him for mocking her. She sighed as she gave in and answered his question, "That was Alexander Petrov. He's new in town and wants to buy Grayson's old clinic. He wants a space to open up a rare books store, that's it."

"Married with kids?" Damon said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he stared at the road where Alexander Petrov's car passed minutes ago.

"I don't see how that's relevant to you but he's a widow with one son who is Elena's age and is in school with her now most likely." Jenna said slowly

"Let me guess…his name is Nick." Damon said shaking his head, cursing under his breath as he started to pace in front of Jenna, "Okay, since you're now in the inner circle of the supernatural society—welcome by the way. Here's the plan…no, don't look all suspicious of _me_. You should reserve that for the 'Petrovs,' a surname which screams Katherine's family reunion to me. I need you to find out as much as you can about that guy and most especially his son, who has been making googly eyes at Elena. Feel free to ban her from seeing Nick Petrov. I'm all for it. Ground her if you want, just let me visit."

"Damon…" Jenna said, "He's a perfectly respectable man and I'm sure his son is too. You're, overreacting."

"Am I or is everyone in your family just blindingly trusting of strangers?" Damon exclaimed, "Look, Jenna, call me paranoid, delusional and all around crazy but just humor me on this one. Believe me I don't want to be right about them being a threat. I'd prefer they're harmless but I'm not taking my chances with Elena's safety. There's only so many times I can watch her almost get killed or jump through hoops to try and save me. Contrary to what you might think, I do have a heart and it's not going to be able to take another round of watching Elena go through hell without breaking into a tiny million pieces that I won't have the time or the patience to pick up."

"Okay, okay," Jenna agreed taking in Damon's speech without betraying how much she was affected by it, "I'll do what I can but if I find nothing…if they're clean then you back off."

"Yeah, yeah but all bets are off if that Nick so much as bats an eye at Elena the wrong way," Damon muttered darkly as he walked away, "Call me, Jenna. I'll be waiting."

"Don't hold your breath," Jenna said mockingly

"That doesn't apply to my kind, Jenna, be more creative with your threats next time," Damon said without turning around, "See you tomorrow for family night and FYI, I like rare steaks."

* * *

"Need a ride?" Nick asked Elena from behind, smiling lightly as if all the dark stories were forgotten and trapped in the school classroom.

"Uh, no, just waiting for my boyfriend," Elena said, a small laugh escaping her as she realized what she had called Damon.

"Ah, yes," Nick said with recognition, "the one who wishes looks can kill so he can execute me on the spot for pulling you out of a stampede. Charming. I wish you all the happiness in the world with him."

Elena laughed at his assessment, "We've been through quite a bit lately and he's just looking out for me. Nothing personal. He's just protective."

"And extremely paranoid," Nick pointed out, "but with good reason, I think. You can never be too careful."

Elena agreed silently as she scanned the parking lot. She blinked and suddenly Nick was right in front of her, his eyes like steel as they bore into hers, "I need a favor, Elena."

"Yes?" she asked, a faint feeling of numbness spreading through her body as her consciousness warred with her instincts.

"Don't tell Damon the story about the prophecy, Aztlan and everything else. He'll find out soon enough but it's not yet time. The messenger is on his way." Nick said quietly as he tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Okay," Elena nodded compliantly, her hands flying to her neck where the pendant with vervain hung, confused at why she was still aware of the control over her but more importantly why she was not immune, "I won't tell him."

"Good." Nick said before stepping sideways to reveal an irate Damon walking towards them, "Until tomorrow, Elena. Oh and one more thing…you still didn't ask the right question earlier."

"What am I missing then?" Elena said monotonously

Nick only smiled and stepped back, "Goodbye, Elena."

"Bye…" Elena said absently as Damon approached, barely noticing Nick leave.

"Elena? Earth to Elena? Hello?" Damon said waving a hand in front of her face, so close that Elena instinctively swatted it away, her senses sharpening as she did.

Elena gasped as if she held her breath for a while, pitching forward into Damon's arms as she did.

"Whoa, what's happening to you, is it that new kid? I saw him walk away like five seconds ago. Did he do something to you?" Damon said, suspiciously eyeing Nick's back as he walked farther away from them, pushing up his sleeves, "Do I now have reason to tear him limb from limb?"

"No, no, we were just talking about class…" Elena said trying to grasp what seemed to be pieces of her memory floating in her mind, unreachable and hazy.

"Interesting enough to render you speechless? What was it?" Damon asked, peering at her curiously.

"It was…" Elena started. Panic initially seizing her as she found she couldn't continue but then an unnatural calm descending on her as she replied, "nothing worth repeating. Let's go, Damon."

* * *

Nick watched them leave, releasing a deep sigh only after their car was out of sight, "We've been away too long. I've forgotten so much it seems."

"Yes, that is true," Alexander replied quietly as he stood beside Nick, "and yet things are almost exactly the same. Time apparently has no impact or faces, places or players in this game. I wonder…are the feelings the same?"

"Insignificant detail. But at least this time it will truly be the end." Nick laughed bitterly, his hand turning into a fist over his heart, "How far out is the messenger?"

"A day or two at most," Alexander replied, "One of them is severely injured but I am certain he will be strong enough eventually. They travel quite slowly."

"No, it's just right. The timing will be precise," Nick replied softly, "Everything will unravel the second they set foot in this town."

Nick closed his eyes and whispered to no one, "May the best man win, Damon."

* * *

**A/N: Took long…I know :) **** The next one update shouldn't take as long…it's already in my mind as I'm writing this. Btw, Aztlan is really a legend with the Aztecs—thought it would be good to tie that in. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this and hope you read the next ones as well.:)**


	3. Chapter 3: Lost and Found

**By the light of the moon**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.**

**Chapter 3: Lost and found**

"What is taking her so long?" Tyler said, looking around warily for the server as he tapped an impatient rhythm on the table.

"She's just putting the pie in a box, Tyler," Caroline said, watching as Tyler's eyes continued to flit from one part of the room to another, "Don't worry—Matt's off today. I checked."

Tyler's head snapped and he faced Caroline directly, "That's not—"

"Yes, Tyler, it's exactly what you were thinking," Caroline pointed out with a small smile, "You've been looking in the wrong direction if you're just waiting for the pie to get here."

Tyler ran a hand through his hair, frustrated and clearly could not deny what Caroline said, "I just…I don't know what to say to him, okay? It's been awhile since…since you know—that night but there's still too much going on, too much I need to figure out and…I just can't risk not having you around, even if that means I run like a coward from Matt."

Caroline tried to hide a smile, responding as she reached out and placed a hand over his, "Don't worry, I'll be running right beside you. He deserves some kind of explanation but I'm not ready to _not _be selfish and give it to him…not yet."

Tyler gave her a tight smile of thanks, "Finally," he said as the server approached them, "now we just cross our fingers the Gilberts didn't invite Matt to their little housewarming party and we're good to go."

A small boy suddenly came zipping through and bumped into the server, propelling the pie box through the air. Then from nowhere, Nick came and caught the box neatly in his hand, "Is this yours?" he asked Caroline who was already half out of her seat to make the catch herself.

"Uh, yeah, thanks," Caroline said completely unnerved, "Nick, right? You're the new kid?"

"Yes, quite new," Nick responded with a polite smile, "Caroline? And Tyler? Did I get that right?"

"Yes," Caroline said returning his smile, "Are you here with anyone?"

"My father," Nick responded with a brief nod in the direction of a smartly dressed man at a table across the room, "Just having dinner. Too tired to cook since we've been busy moving in…and we don't actually know which of the boxes has the plates and glasses, so here we are."

Tyler only nodded as he stood up next to Caroline, placing a possessive hand on her elbow, steering her away, "We should go. We're going to be late."

"Right, don't let me keep you," Nick said standing aside, "Tell Elena I said hi, and I hope she enjoys the pie."

"Of course," Caroline said smiling, "Bye Nick!"

"Nick," Tyler said curtly.

"Tyler," Nick nodded with a smile but with a steely undertone to how he said it.

Tyler held on to Caroline's arm as he briskly led her outside, his jaw clenched and tense, relaxing only when they got to his car and started for Elena's house.

"He seemed nice," Caroline said breaking the silence, oblivious to Tyler's mood.

"There's something not right about him, Caroline," Tyler said sharply, "I wouldn't trust him."

"Why?" Caroline asked, "He actually did something nice, in case you didn't notice."

Tyler kept his eyes on the road, his eyes narrowed to slits, "Caroline, he told us to tell Elena he said 'Hi.'"

"So?" Caroline said, "There's nothing wrong with that."

Tyler shook his head, "Not when we didn't tell him where we were going in the first place."

* * *

"Well, that was just fantastic, Jenna," Damon exclaimed as he pushed his plate away, "You should be a chef."

"And you should stop trying too hard, Damon," Jenna said rolling her eyes as she cleared some of the dishes.

"Who? Me? Never." Damon said with feigned innocence, "Take the compliment, it's real. Tell me, Jenna, are you snarky and fearless of me because I'm slowly clawing my way into your good graces or you think I'm a wimpy vampire that I couldn't even finish bleeding out over a rock?"

"Because you were so manly earlier, wearing a frilly apron that Elena embellished with lace and buttons as a child," Jenna said smirking, "Anyone my niece can force into that should not be feared."

Damon turned to Elena who could barely contain her laughter, "Did you hear that, Elena? Are you proud of yourself now? You're tearing my reputation to shreds. Your aunt used to think that I was one of those guys that she'd never let you even be in the same room with and now look what you've done."

"It looked cute," Elena said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I prefer menacing, intimidating or plain hot." Damon enumerated, "Cute is not an option for someone with fangs."

"Pay up, Bonnie," Caroline said mischievously, "I believe Elena won fair and square."

"Not until I see evidence," Bonnie said steadily, ignoring Damon's puzzled look.

Elena stood up and picked up a camera carefully concealed behind a cookie jar, "Here—I took five shots for good measure. His eyes match the buttons on the bottom right corner of the apron. Agree?"

Damon's jaw dropped open and he quickly swiped the camera, pushing all the buttons in an attempt to delete all the evidence. But the damage was done—all the girls had burst out laughing while Alaric, Jeremy and Tyler just shook their heads as they left the table for the living room.

"I am shocked, Elena, truly shocked" Damon said seriously, one hand over his heart, "How could you? Betrayed for a mere twenty bucks. I'm not even worth a hundred in your eyes. How will I ever recover?"

Elena pocketed the twenty dollar bill and looked Damon straight in the eyes, "We'll use the money for ice cream tomorrow, how's that?"

Damon shrugged, "Sold."

"Easy," Elena muttered as she cleared plates.

"Mmm-hmmm, next time bargain for a higher price, tell me and we'll split the winnings," Damon whispered as he passed by.

A wide grin broke over Elena's face, "What else are you willing to do?"

"Anything for you," Damon said playfully, a hint of underlying seriousness edging out as he looked at her, "Now scoot. I'll load the rest of these up. Go be with your friends."

Elena handed him the last plate in her hands, "I love you."

"What's wrong?" Damon said obviously alarmed.

Elena laughed, "Why do you think there's something wrong?"

"You never say _it_ first," Damon replied, squinting at her suspiciously, "Spill it, Elena. Elena?"

Elena just walked out laughing to herself as Damon continued to call after her. When she was out of the room, Damon rolled his eyes and shook his head as he returned to cleaning up, even as he heard a throat clear behind him.

"What do you want Mason Jr.?" Damon said without looking up.

"Don't call me that," Tyler said angrily, "Don't give me a reason to go after you on the full moon. You're walking on thin ice. I haven't forgotten _exactly _who you are and what role you played in my uncle's death."

"I'd say 'bite me' but you might take that literally so I'll play nice. But FYI, he asked for it. Anyway, before we unwillingly head off to memory lane, let's get back on track—what do you want?" Damon said finally turning around, leaning against the sink behind him.

Tyler closed his eyes, his internal debate evident on his face. He blew out his breath as he decided to speak, "Has Elena told you about the new kid at school?"

"Better—I've met the little twerp," Damon said narrowing his eyes at the memory, "Annoying, that one, and I think he has a crush on fair Elena."

"Do you think he's, you know, human?" Tyler asked directly.

Damon straightened up, the frown on his face deepening, "You sound like you have a theory. Let's have it."

"That Nick guy moves too fast," Tyler said, "Inhuman speed. And he knows too much. Like today, he told us to tell Elena 'Hi' when we never even told him we were coming here or the other day in class…he had this whole story about what Mystic Falls used to be and he had a pretty thorough background on the moonstone. And he kept looking at Elena, as if she should know something…like he was waiting for a reaction from _her_."

"Talking about Nick Petrov, I see," Alaric said as he walked into the kitchen to get some water, "So Damon, what did you think of the story?"

"Does this story have actual details or have you all forgotten I'm about a hundred plus years too old to be in high school to have heard that magnificent tale first hand?" Damon said frustrated.

Alaric looked at him in confusion, "Didn't Elena tell you?"

"Does this face look like someone in the know?" Damon retorted angrily, "No, she didn't tell me or I wouldn't have asked, Alaric. Keep up, will you?"

"I told her to tell you…" Alaric trailed off, "She said she would."

"Alaric," Damon said with an exasperated air, "If you think students actually do what you do them when they leave your classroom, especially when there's no threat of an F involved or not even then, then you're a bigger idiot than I originally thought. Now, if you'll excuse me, someone owes me answers."

Damon's eyes blazed like blue fire as he stormed past Tyler into the living room, "Elena, have I asked you lately how school has been?"

"Uh, it's fine, Damon," Elena said peering at him curiously, "Why do you look like that?"

Damon replied, his tone changing abruptly, "Why are you protecting him, Elena?"

"What?" Elena said clearly surprised, "Who?"

"That kid who's trying for Mr. Congeniality the way he's playing nice with everyone—the new kid," Damon said angrily, "Why didn't you tell me he's acting weird—sharing the story for all ages in class, which no one has shared yet? Why have I not heard about this from _you_, Elena?"

"What story?" Elena said genuinely confused.

"I asked first and I believe it's the one your teacher here told you to pass along to me. I'm all ears, Elena." Damon said

"I—" Elena started before a panicked look set in, as she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly but no sound came out.

Damon immediately sped to her side, worry overtaking every emotion he had at that moment, "What is going on, Elena? Are you okay? Tell me."

"I can't!" Elena said hysterically, "It's in my head and then the memory just goes away. I can't find the words, Damon. I want to tell you but I _can't._ I can't. Damon—_"_

"Shhh," Damon said as he pulled Elena close, turning to Alaric, "Start talking."

"It's this prophecy—"Alaric started before he was interrupted by loud banging on the door, followed by a male voice calling for Elena.

Jenna rushed to the door but was immediately pulled back by Damon, "Do not, under any circumstances, invite whoever that is inside this house unless you prove in at least three ways that person is not of the supernatural variety."

"All right, all right, now can I answer the door before they break it down?" Jenna said pulling her arm free.

She swung the door wide open and almost screamed at the sight of a bloody Stefan, barely recognizable, supported by Nick.

"I'm sorry," Nick said unevenly as he continued to take on the full weight of Stefan, "I didn't know where else to take him. He kept mumbling 'Elena' so I figured you know him and I just took him here."

"She's not the only Elena in the world, Nick," Damon said sharply as he moved to take Stefan from Nick, "How lucky you are that you got the right one."

"Oh my, come on in," Jenna said instinctively. Damon shot her a murderous look, "What did I just tell you _not_ to do?"

Jenna glared at him as she helped Nick inside, leading him to the guest bathroom, "Don't be rude, Damon. He helped your brother."

"Are you sure he wasn't the one who bludgeoned him in the first place?" he shot back.

Damon closed his eyes in an effort to control his temper. He took a deep breath when the moment passed and headed straight for his brother, who was sitting limply on the couch as Elena tended to him.

"Stefan," Damon said slapping him awake, pausing slightly when he noticed something was off. He stood up, his eyes widening in shock before he reached out again, his fingers finding their way to Stefan's throat, looking for confirmation that his brother could not utter.

"I think we need to take him to the hospital," Nick said from the edge of the group, "His pulse is steady but it's weak. He's lost a lot of blood."

Elena gasped and turned to Damon who nodded mutely. No one spoke for a minute as they watched Stefan lying unconscious in front of them, his chest rising and falling as his lungs worked hard to bring in oxygen to his system.

"He's breathing," Caroline pointed out slowly, "His heart is beating."

"Yeah," Nick said quietly, "that's what I said."

"Get him out of here," Damon said in a low voice to Alaric, "before I shove his tongue down his throat."

Damon didn't turn around to watch Alaric and Jenna usher out Nick with profuse thanks and apologies for his rudeness.

Elena watched as Damon shook his head and bit his wrist, allowing his blood to drip on the floor.

"Damon, no!" Elena said trying to pull him away from Stefan, "Caroline, help me!"

But Damon was faster and he managed to get Stefan to swallow a few drops.

"He's not dying. It should just help him heal faster. You know the drill." Damon said, his jaw clenched tightly, "We just have to make sure it stays that way so he remains human."

They watched with baited breath as color slowly returned to Stefan's cheeks and how his sleep became more disturbed, thrashing about and mumbling incoherently.

"The queen is the key…the lost king has been found…it has begun…the struggle…the power…find her…where's Katherine?" Stefan said, beads of sweat trailing down his face, his eyes tightly shut as he spoke, "the moonstone has shattered…it has set in motion what was stopped once before…Katherine…where is Katherine?"

"Stefan," Elena said kneeling down next to him, placing her hand on his face gently, as she spoke in a shaky voice, "Stefan, please wake up. Please."

"The blood…" Damon said blankly, "It should have been enough. He should be fine. What the hell is happening to you, Stefan? Bonnie, can't you do something?"

"I'm trying but I can't seem to get through…" Bonnie said trailing off.

"Find Katherine, Damon, find her. She has answers. No time. No time." Stefan ordered in a sharp and alert voice that they thought he finally woke up, but he after he breathed out those words he fell into a peaceful sleep.

"The answers can wait, Stefan." Damon said to his brother though he wasn't sure his words were being heard, "She'll come to Mystic Falls soon enough. I just need to get her a message that you're bleeding and broken, she'll come running."

"Now what?" Elena asked hoarsely, a haunted look on her face as she stood next to Damon.

"We wait," Damon said in a tired voice, sitting down in front of Stefan, "I'll take first watch. The rest of you go home or get rest—that includes you Elena. Go to bed. I'll watch Stefan."

Everyone drifted out of the room, leaving the brothers alone.

"I told you to come back in one piece and this doesn't count, Stefan." Damon whispered, "The kid who brought you here is trying to steal our girl, her memories and I need you to have my back when I fight him for her. I'll make you drink my blood and snap your neck if I have to. I'll be the selfish one this time because it's my turn to need my brother."

* * *

Elena placed a finger to her lips as motioned for Bonnie to follow her into her bedroom, closing the door quietly as she could after. She picked up a piece of paper and wrote—_Cast a spell so Damon can't hear us._

Bonnie nodded and closed her eyes, mouthing the words silently as she used magic to envelope her and Elena.

"Okay," Bonnie said after a few seconds, "This won't last long. What do you want to tell me that you don't want him to hear?"

"I need you to bring back my memory or override whatever it is that's keeping me from telling Damon that story from class. I think it has something to do with that Stefan was saying back there…" Elena said

"I don't know, Elena," Bonnie said worriedly, "It doesn't feel right. There's something about whatever it is that has its hold on you that I'm not sure I can or should break. Maybe there's another way…"

"Please, Bonnie," Elena pleaded, "I need to know who did this to me. Please."

Bonnie nodded and took Elena's hands in hers, chanting softly. Elena felt intoxicated, her eyelids fluttering sleepily as she listened to Bonnie. Her thoughts swirled until nothing made sense anymore and she felt her head hit her pillow softly as darkness blanketed her completely.

* * *

Light penetrated her closed eyelids, pain shooting through her head as the throbbing intensified. She listened intently to the voices arguing through heated whispers and what she could only guess as wild gestures judging from the shadows they cast against her closed eyes.

"What the hell did you do, Bonnie?" said a male voice angrily, "I have my hands full with one comatose ex-vampire and you just felt like adding another patient to my list? Are you committed to driving me insane?"

"She'll wake up when she's ready, Damon. The spell is just taking time to work since that was a pretty powerful compulsion she had on her," the girl named Bonnie said, her voice faltering slightly, which didn't escape the notice of the one called Damon.

"The compulsion of any decent vampire is powerful, Bonnie. If it weren't, then don't you think I would have tried to undo it myself?" Damon spat out, "Step up, Bonnie, or walk away. Don't ever risk her life if you're even just one percent unsure of your magic."

Unable to pretend any longer, she opened her eyes and saw that her action didn't go unnoticed as Bonnie approached her almost immediately.

"Elena?" Bonnie asked tentatively, "Are you okay?"

"I—" she started before Damon's clear blue eyes came into view, shocking her into silence as waves of pain crashed inside her skull, almost taking her under. She closed her eyes briefly, feeling Damon's hand grip hers as she fought to stay conscious, counting the seconds until she could bear to look at him again.

"Elena…" Damon said soothingly, "What happened?"

Her eyes snapped open, taking in everything all at once and finding no words other than, _"Who are you?"_


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets and Lies

**By the light of the moon**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.**

**Chapter 4: Secrets and lies**

Elena stared at Bonnie, the look on her face a cross between confusion and panic as she repeated her question, "Who are you?"

"Elena?" Bonnie said tentatively approaching Elena who withdrew at the gesture, "What is the last thing you remember?"

Elena didn't reply as she pushed herself back, almost flat against the wall as she looked wildly around. She froze when her eyes landed on Damon, staring at him openly with wide eyes, her mouth falling open in apparent shock.

"Elena…do you know who I am?" Damon said slowly, standing still, watching as recognition filled her eyes for a split second before she blinked it away and there was only blankness.

"No." Elena replied steadily in a strong voice, her entire demeanor changing after seeing Damon.

Bonnie stood, her hand over her mouth, close to tears with the guilt of another failed spell on her conscience, "Elena, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. I shouldn't have done it."

Elena merely blinked and looked at Damon again, "Who am I?"

Damon didn't reply and instead with inhuman speed placed an arm against Elena's neck, pinning her against the wall as he questioned her, "Oh, I think _you_ need to answer that, whoever you are. Because honey, the only thing I know is that you're not Elena."

"Damon, no!" Bonnie said urgently, "That's her! I've been by her side since. Let her go!"

"Stay out of this, witch. You've done enough damage," Damon said angrily. Pushing against Elena's throat, his stare intense rivaling hers, not faltering even under duress, "What have you done with Elena?"

"You're making a mistake. I am who I've always been." Elena said rasping, choking on the last word, "But this isn't about…me."

Damon paused, breathing heavily as he tried to reign in his temper, "Well, answer it anyway because it's the only thing that counts right this second. What have you done with Elena?"

"Nothing," Elena said closing her eyes, "I'm right here. Somewhere inside, I'm right here."

"Then prove it—who am I?" Damon said his voice catching in his throat as he kept her locked in his grip, his own pain edging into his voice.

Elena continued to look at him, turning her head at the last second before replying, insisting and almost pleading for him to believe, "I don't know you."

Damon swallowed as he pressed harder, barely able to control his anger until he was forced to release her, doubling over from the pain in his head. Bonnie stood, tears streaming down her face as she watched Damon writhe on the floor, screaming in agony.

"What are you doing, witch?" Elena watched in horror, instinctively running to him and placing her arms around him, cradling his head gently as she yelled at Bonnie to stop.

"Stop! Please! Whatever you're doing! Stop!" Elena screamed, fear etched plainly on her face, "Please, don't do this. I can't—I can't…Please. Don't do this."

Bonnie gasped and the moment was broken, surprised and confused that Elena would react that way if she truly could not remember them, "Why did you stop me? How—?"

Damon stayed in Elena's arms, his eyes closed as he recovered from the pain, clutching Elena's hand as if it anchored him.

"Shh…"Elena whispered soothingly, "You're okay. I'm right here. I'm right here."

"You're not," Damon said in a broken voice, "You're not all there. It's not you, Elena. Give her back to me."

"I'm right here," Elena repeated softly, whispering the last part so only he could hear, "I just don't know _you_ and I'm so afraid to know who you are."

"Why?" Damon said, his eyes still closed, unwilling to look at Elena's face.

"Because of what you make me feel right now…because I don't want you to die," Elena said gently, "It can't be you."

Damon opened his eyes and sat up, holding Elena's face in his hands, their foreheads touching, "What the hell is happening, Elena—whoever you are?"

Elena opened her mouth, closed it again and swallowed hard before finally speaking, "I honestly don't understand. _Believe_ me when I say I don't know you—I need you to do this for me. Trust me."

"'t." Damon said haltingly through gritted teeth.

"I'm not giving you a choice," Elena said with a pained smile as she let him go and stood up, "We're staying this way for as long as it is necessary—strangers."

"Necessary for what, Elena?" Damon said, his frustration increasing with every word, rising to face her.

Elena only shook her head as she retreated backwards and turned to Bonnie, "I want to rest. I'm tired. Take him away."

"Elena, we're not going anywhere until we figure this out," Bonnie said tentatively siding with Damon, "This is my fault. Let me fix it."

"Go." Elena said simply, "There's nothing to fix. Please just leave me alone."

"What do you remember?" Bonnie insisted, "Answer or I let him compel you into telling us."

"No." Damon said to Bonnie, then taking a hard look at Elena, "I'm tired but I'll play along because I love you, Elena. I'm going to believe you're in there and you have some explanation for this. I'll pretend nothing is wrong and you're not breaking me down with every empty look. But I need _you_ to do something for me."

Elena nodded slowly, watching Damon sigh deeply as he fought with his emotions.

"In any state, I know you're bound to do something stupid if you think it's going to help the world one idiot move at a time," Damon said, "So I need you to give me a heads up before you do so I can go with you. I won't stop you but I'll be there to make sure you don't die in the process."

Elena nodded as she watched Damon leave the room in silence. She turned to Bonnie after a few minutes, "Make sure he stays away from me."

"Elena, what is going on? Please tell me," Bonnie repeated her plea, "You're scaring me."

"Just, please, make sure he stays away," Elena said as she sank down and sat on the bed.

"That's next to impossible, Elena. Damon will never stay away. If you remembered then you'll know that even with a guilty conscience or wounded pride he'd show up at your door. Even under a spell, he'd claw his way through it just to find you. It's not happening, Elena." Bonnie tried to reason, "But if you at least tell me what's going on then maybe I can help you another way. _Please_."

"I don't want to remember," Elena whispered, "Please, if you're my friend, you'll do this for me."

"Why?" Bonnie said refusing to let it go, "I'm not doing anything unless you tell me _something_."

"I don't know anything other than my namenow," Elena started, "but there's another story alive inside me, that I know is part of who I am…a burden I must carry alone. In a way, he's right—I'm not simply Elena…not anymore."

"I'm dangerous," Elena continued quietly, "More to him than anyone else."

"But you say you don't even know him," Bonnie said, "how can that be then?"

"I don't…but I know I love him, and that's the problem," Elena said with a tired sigh, "Please, that's all I have….that's all I can tell you. Can you please, just leave me alone for awhile? I need…I need to think."

Bonnie took a deep breath and reluctantly moved towards the door, "Elena, you're going to have to let us in…eventually. You can't shut us out, even if you don't remember who we are in your life. You need us. We need you."

Bonnie stepped out and closed the door behind her to find Damon leaning against the wall, his eyes shut tight. He placed a finger to his lips and motioned for her to follow him downstairs.

"Did you hear that?" Bonnie said in a low voice when they reached the landing.

Damon rolled his eyes before he replied, "Have _you_ lost your memory too? In case you have, let's review—I'm a vampire and I have excellent hearing, the kind that I know Elena is taking calming breaths right now in her bedroom to keep from bursting into tears. Yes, Bonnie, I heard every word. And no, I'm not going anywhere so don't even bother trying anything."

"I never said I was going to do it, Damon," Bonnie countered, "I hate it but she needs you. So, what do we do now?"

"_You_," Damon said pointedly, "are going to figure out a way to make Elena remember. Forget all the cryptic stuff she's yammering about—the only thing that matters is getting her back, as she was, nothing more and nothing less. And _I'm _going to find the little bitch that broke my brother. Keep an eye on her, Bonnie. I'll be back in a few hours."

* * *

"Why are you sneaking out of your own house?" Nick asked in a loud whisper as he watched Elena climb down the tree near her bedroom window. Startled, Elena lost her grip on the branch above her and swung down unceremoniously, getting her footing just in time to avoid hurtling down. Elena quickly came down and dusted herself off before looking at Nick, motioning for him to be quiet and to follow her.

Nick locked eyes with her, shock washing over him as he looked at her—the same but not quite since he last saw her. The change was practically impossible to detect and yet it was there. But the moment lasted only for a few seconds before he was forced to follow her as she moved quickly away from her house.

"Where are we going?" Nick asked after a few minutes, only to be shushed by Elena.

They walked in silence with Elena leading the way until they ended up in what seemed like ruins of an old mansion.

"Okay, Elena, this has got to stop—where are we and why are you acting so weird?" Nick asked, genuinely curious

Elena turned around, her head tilted at him as if trying to figure something out about him, "You really don't know?"

"No," Nick said, the lie rolling off his tongue smoothly that it almost sounded like the truth but Elena's slight frown showed she was not fooled.

"I'm new in town, Elena," Nick said, reminding her but she merely shrugged and continued to wander around, as if looking for something, when she suddenly slipped and fell, her scream echoing in the woods.

Nick rushed to her side and helped her out of the small ditch she fell into, "You okay? Anything broken?"

Elena shook her head and pointed to a column that fell down, hobbling towards it, "I need to sit down."

Nick nodded and helped her towards the makeshift bench, setting her down gently before falling to his knees to examine her ankle, "Looks okay to me but maybe you should stay off it for a while."

"Why are you in Mystic Falls?" Elena asked suddenly, the pain in her foot forgotten.

"My father thought it would be a good change of pace from the city life," he said. Nick's response was rehearsed and perfectly delivered, exactly what Elena expected.

"Why are you helping me?" Elena asked quietly, her hand clutching the hard surface she was sitting on.

"Because you seem like you could use it," Nick replied carefully, sensing there was more to her questions than she was letting on.

"Who am I to you?" Elena asked, meeting his eyes, unsettling Nick and making him take one step back.

"Why are you asking me this?" Nick replied with a question of his own.

"Are we friends?" Elena asked, completely ignoring what he just said.

"No," Nick said straightening up, "I've long wanted to be but it seems impossible."

"Because you can't be trusted," Elena said matter-of-factly.

Nick gave her a thin smile and nodded, "What makes you think that?"

Elena shrugged, "Because you only answered one question honestly. Stop lying to me."

Nick smiled, "Which one?"

Elena stood up and looked at him, walking towards him until they were close enough to kiss, "It is impossible. We will never be friends. We will never be anything."

Elena gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, something that seemed like a simple goodbye, completely distracting him from noticing how she slipped into her back pocket a tiny object—a solid gold key that she took from the side of the column she sat on.

* * *

Damon stood at the door with an unconscious Katherine in his arms, raising his eyebrows at Jeremy, "You have to invite her in even if she's in a comatose state. Come on, Jeremy, we don't have all day. She might look frail but her evil bones aren't made of feather-light material."

"Come on in, come in." Jeremy said hastily, stepping aside as Damon walked past him, heading straight for the living room and tossing Katherine unceremoniously on the couch.

"Remind me why I didn't just stake her when I found her practically drained of blood," Damon said to his brother who sat in one of the chairs, still pale and weak but fully conscious, "And why am I about to give her some from my own stash."

Damon shook his head as he took the blood bag from Jeremy and put it to Katherine's lips, forcing it into her until she slowly sipped it on her own even if she somehow was still mostly unconscious.

"We need her, Damon," Stefan said coughing from the effort of speaking, "the prophecy…"

"…is still something you have yet to share with the rest of the class!" Damon said throwing his hands in the air, "Meanwhile, I'm tempted to feed Bonnie's blood to Katherine because somehow she lost Elena and she doesn't even know it."

Bonnie stopped in her tracks, halfway into the living room, "What do you mean? She's upstairs…"

Damon turned to face her, his eyes cold like steel, "You want to bet your life on that, witch?"

Jeremy backed out of the room and checked upstairs, yelling when he got to the top, "She's not here."

Damon glared at Bonnie, "You were saying? You've proven yourself mostly useless but let's try your luck one more time and see if you can at least do a simple locator spell so I don't have to run around town like a headless chicken looking for the wayward amnesiac."

"She's a _what_?" Jeremy asked incredulously as he came down the stairs. Stefan's surprise registered clearly on his face but his weakened state prevented him from speaking out.

"Look it up in the dictionary or the internet—I'm sure they have a lot of fascinating explanations there, Jeremy," Damon said waving him off, "I don't have time for this. Bonnie, locator? Get moving."

Bonnie glared at him but set to work, getting a map as Jeremy cut his fingertip so that a few drops of blood oozed out.

Damon crossed his arms in front of him as he watched impatiently, almost missing Katherine's raspy voice as she slowly recovered, "You don't have to look for her. She'll be back. She won't be able to stay away, Damon. Not from you."

"Shut up," Damon said without turning around, "Don't make me regret not staking you when I had the chance."

"She's right, Damon," Stefan whispered weakly, "Elena…she will find you. It was always meant…The queen…the lost…"

"Okay, either you start spilling your guts on this mysterious prophecy or you both just shut up so Bonnie can find Elena." Damon said giving them both a look before turning to Bonnie, "Well? Where's all that power you've been bragging about? Found her yet? Or is mystical migraine the only spell you know how to do?"

Bonnie ignored him, a confused expression settling over her features as she stared at the map, "It doesn't make sense. I can't—"

"What?" Damon said frustrated, "Have you become completely useless?"

"Damon, shut up, let her finish," Jeremy said standing up for Bonnie.

Damon raised his eyebrows at Jeremy, "Your sister is missing—now is not the time to act on your crush on her best friend. Focus, little Gilbert, focus. Bonnie, anything?"

"Damon…" Bonnie said, her face wrinkled in uncertainty, "She's right…"

"Here." Katherine finished, her eyes flashing in alarm as she stood up quickly beside Damon as the door flew open to reveal Elena with Nick behind her.

Elena walked in, locking eyes with Damon whose jaw was clenched tightly as he reached out, pulling her securely behind him, "Where the hell have you been?"

Elena didn't respond but merely pressed the tiny key into Damon's hand, surprising him but he kept his face blank as he took the object and closed his fingers around it securely.

Nick stood at the doorway, blinking slowly as he took in the sight before him, smiling malevolently when he found the face he had been expecting since he brought Stefan to Elena's house, "Hello, Katherine."

Katherine growled beside Damon, her face fierce and her body seemingly poised to fight but her eyes betrayed a hint of fear, "Hello,_ Klaus_."


	5. Chapter 5:Lay the pieces where they fall

**By the light of the moon**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.**

**Chapter 5: Lay the pieces where they fall**

"What took you so long?" Klaus said smiling, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he watched Katherine's fierce glare.

"I think you can answer your own question considering you sent your henchmen to stop us. He failed, obviously. Give him my regards before you kill him." Katherine hissed.

"Only to delay, Katerina," Klaus said casually, "I needed a bit of a time to get reacquainted with the players before your arrival. If I wanted you dead, you would be. You can't stop me, you know that.

"But even _you_ can't stop all this from happening." Katherine spat out, "You're in over your head, Klaus. You cannot win."

Klaus' eyes narrowed to slits for a second before he assumed a benign expression, making a show of stepping inside the threshold of the house, prompting Damon to step forward the same second Katherine did.

"Oh, you know that's not true, Katerina," Klaus said calmly, "Otherwise, why won't you even let me see the newly human Stefan Salvatore? Let me say hello to him, Katerina. I don't want to be rude."

"That's as far as you go, buddy. Take another step and—" Damon threatened as Klaus took another step further.

"And what, Damon?" Klaus asked cutting him off, "You're a child compared to me. You don't stand a chance."

It was Katherine's turn to smile, a secret hidden in her lips, but before she could utter a single syllable, Elena stepped around Damon and spoke in a clear voice, "Leave."

"No," Klaus said evenly, but his eyes betrayed a softness that surprised everyone but Elena, "I lied earlier. I admit that but I don't need to answer those questions. You know why I'm here and what I am in this tale of ours. I can even attest to the truth that we can never be friends…not after everything and with the stakes so high. I've stopped lying but I think _you're _just getting started."

"Leave," Elena repeated, her voice stronger, the force behind it slamming against Klaus as if it were a physical force pushing him back, "There is nothing for you here."

"Not yet," Klaus said stepping back with a final smile, "But it's only a matter of time…_majesty."_

With that final word, Klaus vanished, speeding away into the night, leaving only silence and confusion.

Damon moved silently towards the door, shutting it then bolting it closed before turning to everyone else. "Katherine, you better start talking before I rip the words right out of your mouth."

"No, need to be dramatic about it, Damon," Katherine said sharply, her eyes veering towards the silent Elena, "I'm all about sharing and caring but I'm not the one who has the juiciest tale to tell."

"Let me," Stefan said intervening weakly, "What we did, well specifically what you and Elena did—your blood mingling over the moonstone set off a prophecy that was long delayed in fulfillment. The intent of the shaman wasn't simply to curse vampires and werewolves to stop the wars but to…to…to…"

"It was a pause button," Katherine continued when Stefan faltered, "on the prophecy and the catastrophe that was supposed to unfold. He bought us some time until someone came along that can stop it."

"Will someone _ever_ tell us what the damned prophecy is?" Damon said in an exasperated tone.

"The power of Aztlan will grows. It will be unleashed fully on the day of the final battle between the shadows of the moon and darkness begins, cloaking the land in darkness and despair. The power will decide the fate of the world—if light will prevail or if the world shall be forever cursed, at the mercy of the First until it is no more, consumed by fire and blood." Stefan said quietly, quoting the prophecy, turning to Katherine to continue.

"But if time so sleeps, the shadow of the queen, the evil face she has banished from her soul, shall walk the paths of the dead to set things right. Men she will turn to darkness and her lies shall conceal the truth of a sacrifice that will return life though once lost," Katherine said, watching Stefan as he smiled at her gently, taking over the narration.

"And as Aztlan lays in slumber, the true queen will emerge following her shadow's trail to seek the lost king. The queen will find the king and their bond shall be stronger than any curse or man forced on them by any creature that walks the earth. Together they shall lead the way to unleash power and by the hand of the king, the true master of Aztlan, the war shall be won for the light. But beware of the First, for if he spills the blood of one whose life was returned, the very same who is brother to the king, the battle will be his. For that murder will restore the fallen lieutenants of the First, all thirsty for blood and revenge against the queen who banished them to the darkness. The king must emerge victorious or all hope is lost. Find him…the queen is the key." Stefan finished, eyes locked with Katherine who was shaking her head slowly.

"You never should have done it, Stefan," Katherine whispered, "Klaus will not stop until you're dead. I can't save you from him. I can only help you run. Even then, I don't know how long before he catches up with us."

Stefan gave her a weak smile, "Why is it that's the only part of the prophecy you zero in on? Didn't you hear the part where we can win this? I'm staying, Katherine. But I'm not stopping you from walking out that door."

Katherine laughed bitterly as she turned to Elena, "How can we win, Stefan? I was only bluffing with Klaus—it's us who don't stand a chance."

"All the players are here, Katherine. We have a chance." Stefan answered.

"A chance in hell," Katherine said incredulous, "We're doomed to fail because Elena doesn't want to save the world…she only wants to save—"

"Enough!" Elena cried out, "You know nothing."

"Don't I?" Katherine challenged, "But it seems I'm the only one who actually _thinks_ around here enough to put the pieces together. I know everything, Elena. Or didn't you listen that I am part of the queen? I know her story as well as _she _does. Shall I walk you through it?"

Elena started to shake her head, backing away slightly as Katherine plowed on, flinching when Damon reached out for her.

"See, when I was in Damon's strong arms, I wasn't totally out of it so I heard about someone's failed experiment that cost Elena her memory… or so we think. Then enter Klaus, the evil one who I believe entered your lives and preyed on your ignorance and naiveté," Katherine said maliciously, "Now, he seems to be closest to our dear Elena, who should have run at the first sight of him. But instead she opts to take the hardest way out and just keeps everything bottled up inside, waiting to explode. I love secrets, Elena, allow me to guess yours?"

"Stop it," Elena said in a low voice.

Katherine looked directly at her, facing off with Elena, "No, _you_ stop it Elena. Drop the act or if not you should learn to act better than that. You didn't even act surprised or confused when Klaus recognized who you _really_ are. How can you even hope to conceal who –"

"Enough!" Elena yelled, "Stop it!"

"Bonnie is much powerful than you think, Damon" Katherine continued turning this time to Damon, ignoring Elena's warning glare, "See, I'm not the only lying bitch in this room. The witch unwittingly fulfilled her part of this prophecy and returned all of Elena's memories but she's being all stubborn about facing the truth."

Katherine walked behind Damon and made a show of whispering to his ear, "Oh, and when I say all, I mean _all_."

Elena shook her head in silence, backing away from everyone, before finally turning away to run out. But she didn't even get past the porch before Damon caught her wrist, pulling her back straight into his arms. Elena's chest heaved, her frantic breathing starting to get out of control in her panic as she sobbed uncontrollably as Damon held her.

"Shhhh," Damon said soothingly, rubbing her back gently as they stood, "You're okay. You're okay."

"I'm not," Elena said in a muffled voice, "I'm not okay."

Damon sighed and pulled away from her, guiding her to sit down on the steps with him, "And you'll stay that way unless you start telling what the hell is going on. Elena, you have to be straight with me. Mind-reading is not one of the vampire tricks. I can't guess what's in your head unless you tell me. I can't help you if I'm flying blind."

Elena held her knees to her chest, looking straight ahead, "Tell me about us, Damon, our story. Please. Distract me. Even just for a little while. And I promise you I'll give you all the answers you want."

Damon closed his eyes briefly and sighed, resigned, "Where do you want me to start?"

"How did we meet?" Elena asked without turning to him.

"Well, technically you came to my house looking for the brooding boy wonder and I introduced myself as the dashing older brother but I saw you far earlier than that," Damon started, "You were writing in your diary at the cemetery, which FYI is something you can do in the comfort of your own bedroom, I'm just saying. Anyway, you were sitting there looking like my undead ex and I decided why not make it fun and scare you off with fog and a creepy crow. Turns out I just made you run straight into Stefan."

"How nice of you." Elena asked finally facing him, a smile breaking through her tear-streaked face, "I suppose I didn't like you then."

"No one likes me when they first meet me, Elena," Damon said rolling his eyes, "Unless they're idiots who have a thing for a pretty face. Everyone else will fall for me later when I turn on the charm. Anyway to your point, yes, you didn't like me."

"So how—?" Elena asked, prompting him to continue.

"We became reluctant allies—you save my life, I somehow try to save yours, when convenient or when it worked well with my mission of making Stefan miserable or jealous," Damon said with a shrug, "I think it was only in Atlanta that we started to become friends. After that, you made it your business for me to trust you. I followed you out of magical tombs, went into a vampire's lair and even danced in front of Mystic Falls' best and brightest."

"And then you started to fall for me," Elena said simply

"Of course, like I ever stood a chance," Damon answered rolling his eyes, "and I just love that it was your biological mother who pointed that out to _everyone. _I was blindsided, you know, that I didn't see it until I was in too deep that I didn't even care about stealing you away from Stefan. But I did try and it made for the worst night of my entire existence."

"Explain," Elena asked him, watching as the struggled before giving in to honesty.

"I tried to tell you there was something between us and that you knew it, felt it but you were denying it," Damon started robotically, sighing heavily before continuing, "I snapped Jeremy's neck, Elena."

Damon bowed his head as he went on, "In my drunken state, rejected by Katherine then you, both telling me that it will always be Stefan, I lost it. If he didn't have that ring, the one in your family that protects the one wearing it from unnatural death, he would be gone and I would have been a murderer beyond redemption."

"And I forgave you for that?" Elena asked quietly, asking the question that still circled his thoughts every single day.

Damon winked at her, smiling mischievously, "I did save you a number of times to even the score and I should get points for full disclosure when I can just pretend it never happened. You'd never even know the difference."

Elena frowned and turning serious, Damon continued, "Mostly yes, you did forgive me even if you shouldn't have. What I did…Elena, I will still spend the rest of whatever I have left here on this earth making that up to you. It was unforgivable. But for whatever reason, you did forgive and I can only be grateful. And it made me realize it was enough to be around you, to protect you. I didn't need you to love me back—I had enough of that for both of us. So like a coward, I told you I loved you and then I made you forget."

"Then why is Stefan inside and you're the one with me now? Why do I know that you love me?" Elena asked him

"I think you know the answer to that, Elena," Damon said as he regarded her quietly.

"Because I love _you."_ Elena said simply, "Because somewhere along the way I chose you and not even you could stop me from that."

"And she scores two points for the win. I should give you a gold star, Elena," Damon said with a small smile, "And now here we are. I'm waiting with baited breath for those answers, Elena, because I know better than to trust what Katherine just said back there. But you, I trust. Tell me, Elena, what do you remember?"

"Nothing of what you just told me, that much is true," Elena said turning away from him again, holding her knees tighter against her chest, "I can only tell what I feel towards the people in my life now but there are no images or memories to go with anything. I have…I have emotions and fragments of a past that isn't mine. Well not Elena's at least. I know enough to tell you that yes, Katherine wasn't lying."

"I'll need more than that, Elena," Damon said firmly but gently.

"I remember when I was someone else," Elena said carefully, "It was a different time—chaotic and full of struggle, none could be trusted. It was then the king was lost when he left to search for a way to bring and end to the destruction…a way to destroy the power of Aztlan forever. But he never came back and it started a struggle for power that cost so many lives."

"To protect the queen, the shaman hid her in the guise of someone else—as his wife," Elena continued, "For years they lived in relative peace, even having a daughter together, until the prophecy came to the shaman, shocking him to his core with images of so much carnage and desolation. Apocalyptic. And with the king lost, there was no hope. And he was awoken to the truth that his time with the queen was borrowed. He had to return her to him, but to do that he needed to buy her some time to find him."

"The curse…the moonstone," Damon said, "But if that was broken, the only thing it would have done was let vampires frolic in the sun or werewolves to turn at will…it wasn't…"

"That was a lie to conceal its true nature," Elena said sadly, "Done right, the moonstone released what it really held, which was what little power of Aztlan the shaman could control. It was enough to set things right, which included bringing back to life one who should never have been turned."

"Stefan," Damon whispered, "But what do you mean 'done right'?"

"There was only one way to break the moonstone, Damon," Elena said knowingly, her eyes filling with an infinite sadness, "Your blood and mine, just like Stefan said."

Damon shook his head, refusing the pieces slowly falling into place in his mind.

"Where's the key, Damon," Elena said with a tired smile, knowing once she started down this path there would be no turning back.

He pulled it out of his back pocket and held it out to her but she pushed it back towards him, "Can you see the inscription?"

"Yes but I don't understand ancient gibberish. Sorry, you're going to have to spell it out for me." Damon said impatiently.

"In your trust, keep safe my life, my power and my love..." Elena said

"…my queen," Damon finished, "_You're _the queen"

"The moonstone didn't shatter because of the sacrifice of a doppelganger and a vampire who loved her…it only worked because of who_ we_ are," Elena nodded, her face full of pain and anguish, "And now you know why I'm trying to protect you…why I'm trying so hard to forget you."

* * *

**_A/N: Hope you enjoyed that :) Took a while, I know, but I hope it was worth the wait. Happy holidays everyone!_**


	6. Ch 6:Take me back to the first farewell

**By the light of the moon**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.**

**A/N: Parts in italics are flashbacks. Thanks to damon_s_86 for inspiring parts of this chapter :) Hope you all enjoy this!  
**

**Chapter 6: Take me back to the first farewell**

_The king stood at his window as the sun set before him, casting the heavens in a fierce shade of red, akin to the blood that continued to spill on his land, before giving in to the darkness of the night. He closed his eyes in both surrender and weariness, wishing the answers were simple and the stakes not as high. _

_He clenched his fists as the silence failed to calm his mind, filled with screams of torture and agony of the innocent. The two creatures, the enemies the tribes have created were tireless and merciless—both unyielding to reason, only listening to the call of their thirst. Something had to be done—anything, that even the whisper of redemption brought him hope when there was none. _

"_Brother," he whispered to the early night, not facing the man who came into his chambers discreetly, "Is the seal in place?"_

"_Yes," the shaman replied, walking towards him after bowing respectfully, handing him a yellow crystal and a moonstone, "It will hold until the third time the heavens deign to allow the fearsome ball of fire cross its territory…but I have faith you will be back even before the second visit."_

_The king merely smiled as he took the crystal, but handed back the moonstone, "Keep this. It is best not all are joined in my possession. I trust only you with this. Guard it wisely."_

_The shaman nodded solemnly, "Yes, majesty. Are you sure you want to do this? It might not even be true. You could be chasing after a lie, a hoax to draw you away from Aztlan. This weapon…it might not be the answer, it might not even be real."_

_The king turned away again, ignoring the shaman, clearing his throat before continuing, "There is another thing I need, if you will permit me to request it of you….a personal matter."_

"_Anything, brother," the shaman said quietly, forgetting protocol and replied with familiarity as when they were younger, "What do you require?"_

"_Take care of her after while I'm away," the king said softly as he stared out into the distance, "…and if I am never to return, make sure…just keep her safe. It is all I ask."_

"_The queen needs no one to look after her," the shaman said with a smile, "She has a will of her own, far stronger than most. She will be fine in your absence but I will look out for her, if it will put you at ease. But I beg you to reconsider leaving…Aztlan cannot be without a leader or disorder will reign. I am not sure I can protect the queen then."_

"_Precisely why they are not to know of my departure until the very last…for as long as you can, you must keep it secret but if it is revealed, then you must step up to be king, brother," the king said finally turning around, "I can only wish there was another way…that maybe you could just run away from it all and live your life in peace but the burden of our family is an eternity of misery it seems."_

"_If father were alive," the king continued, "he would never believe his once selfish son will be the one to sacrifice for Aztlan. If he were here, he'd be scoffing and shaking his head in disbelief I would even consider leaving her for the sake of others. It isn't me."_

"_The man never saw you clearly, brother, but I never doubted you, my king." the shaman said before stepping away, "Your horse is ready for your departure. Return to Aztlan safely, your majesty, may you find the means to save us from ruin."_

_

* * *

_

"It hasn't been that long, Stefan, so why is it that you've forgotten you can't sneak up on a vampire?" Damon asked without turning around, arms crossed in front of him as he stared into the fireplace that crackled with flames burning bright, "It is way past your bedtime. Go away."

"We need to talk," Stefan said ignoring Damon's quips, "Elena—"

"—doesn't deserve this," Damon said evenly, cutting off his brother, "But we are who we are, we just have to live with it."

"She told you," Stefan said quietly, "the truth I'm guessing."

"And nothing but," Damon said, "Well, parts of it at least, the salient bits…the parts that make me feel like our story is living on borrowed time, as if I was never meant to have her for more than a minute or two. We're worse than Romeo and Juliet. Feuding families I can take on but the universe conspiring against us is a bit more than I can handle sometimes and I'm not sure how I feel about couples' suicide."

"We can win this, Damon, you can't give up," Stefan said standing beside his brother, "I told you before that where Elena is concerned, I can't think of a better way to die but there's also the other side—I can't think of a better reason to fight to stay alive."

"Ever the optimist, Stefan," Damon said shaking his head, "A thousand years not enough to make you jaded? Or is it the renewed sense of humanity that has inspired this version of my brother? Newsflash, Stefan, I'm not worried about not beating Klaus because I assure you, with or without all this prophecy crap, he signed his death warrant the second he put Elena in danger. I will kill him and feed his body parts to whatever animal will eat him. I just wish…I just wish I didn't have to leave her again…and for good this time."

"What makes you say that? We don't know what will happen," Stefan replied

Damon finally faced Stefan, eyebrows raised, "You should have read the fine print before jumping into that chasm to become human. Check if you can still get a refund because I think your transformation is defective on account of your newfound _stupidity_. Stefan, _you're_ the messenger, the original bearer of the damned prophecy that's already seventy percent complete at this time. You know the remaining thirty is already a given. Ten goes to getting back the power, ten to beating Klaus and then ten for me imploding with all the hocus pocus that will be in my body. Does this conversation not give you some sort of déjà vu? We've been through this once before—I'm going to do this, end of story."

"Why should it when I know you're not going anywhere this time?" Stefan countered

"Because the damn answer was here all along—we never even needed any crystal, moonstone or key." Damon said sharply, taking a deep breath he continued, "I'm not going on some pointless quest _but_ you should still walk down memory lane, Stefan, because I still need you to do something for me."

Stefan shook his head, "We're not letting it come to that. You're not going to leave her with me. You're going to survive."

"Oh, come on," Damon said, "It should be easy, considering you're still in love with her. I'm not asking you to jump off a cliff, Stefan. It's simple—I'll do the dying and you do the living part. I just need to know you'll take care of her when I'm six feet under, that's all I'm asking."

"Not this time, Damon." Stefan answered, "I'm not letting her go through that again. You weren't there to pick up the pieces the first time. I believed for the most part she was broken beyond repair. She never really loved me, not in the way you think she did. Damon, she was never happy…she was never alive, not until now and I'm not going to watch that taken away from her. We'll get through this. I promise you, we'll find a way."

Damon closed his eyes briefly in an attempt to control his frustration, "Stefan, you know how the power works—to use it, I will have to actually take it in me…it will _consume_ me until there's nothing left. So unless you've thought of another way to kill Klaus or bring Tyler a.k.a. the puppy up to speed on how to kill ancient vampires then this is the _only _way. Or we all wake up to find Klaus leaving a trail of death a mile wide. Now, will you drop the sunshine and rainbows act and help me figure out a way to do this?"

"No," Stefan said resolutely, "We're going to find another way. I'm not giving up."

"And die a second time for the star-crossed lovers?" Katherine interrupted, entering the room as if she owned it, glass of blood in hand as if it were expensive wine, "You can't buy another thousand years to stall this, Stefan. You're down a moonstone _and_ a crystal. Last time I checked, we're all out of mystical gems for you to use. It has to end…and I'm afraid it will be exactly how Damon described it. Don't worry—we'll mourn the loss of your hotness on this earth. And if you want, I can send Elena along right after you to the afterlife. I don't mind having Stefan all to myself."

In the blink of an eye, Damon held Katherine by the throat, "If you even look at her the wrong way, I'll break your bones in a thousand places and send your organs to Klaus to burn. You either help us with your mouth shut or you leave this house in pieces. What will it be, Katherine?"

Katherine glared at him but nodded. Damon released her unceremoniously, letting her crumple on the ground, holding her neck gingerly, "How beautiful your anger is, Damon, especially now that you know everything you stand to lose—life, limb and love."

"What did I just tell you about keeping your mouth shut?" Damon asked rounding on her, "Zip it, Katherine."

Katherine raised her palms up in mock surrender, "I heard you the first time, Damon, that last dig was just for the benefit of the mental case who has resorted to eavesdropping. Come in, Elena, no need to be shy considering you're the one who marked Damon, set the clock ticking when you said the words that directed one and all to the lost king. His blood is on your hands now and you'll _never_ wash them clean."

Damon lunged for Katherine but she easily sidestepped him this time, a Cheshire grin on her face as Elena rushed forward and blocked his path, whispering to him in an attempt to soothe him, calm him down before he tore off Katherine's head.

Katherine sat on the couch, legs crossed as she looked at her nails casually, "I can feel the regret rolling off you, Elena. You wish you never gave in and told him. So Damon never would have realized who he is and the part he has to play in al this. I shouldn't be doing this but I'll let you off the hook—it was inevitable, Elena. Bonnie's spell, though unintended, is quite effective in bringing the past to the present that you would have been forced to show your hand eventually. You're acting more and more like _we_ were at the time, Elena, and you would have slipped sooner rather than later. You never would have lasted pretending and staying away from him because you waited for more than a thousand years to find him. .."

"Stop goading them, Katherine," Stefan said menacingly, "You've done enough damage around here. If you can't do anything to help then just leave."

"Only if you go with me, Stefan" Katherine said, "Unlike Elena, I'm not leaving the one I love to die."

"You don't love me." Stefan said in a tone that sounded like he's recited that line a hundred times over.

"I was the part of her that died for you—I love you," Katherine said evenly as she stood face to face with Stefan, "The sooner you accept that, the faster you'll realize I'm not the enemy here."

"Enough," Elena said in a tired voice, pleading with them almost, "Be _quiet_. All of you."

They all stood in silence, watching Elena as she took a deep calming breath, "Yes, Katherine, I wish I can take it back. I wish I don't remember our past and how it feels like it's that first goodbye, only now I'll be left without the hope of ever seeing him again. I know the cost of my confession. I _know_, Katherine. So just shut up and let me figure out how to be Elena again because I think she can fight the odds better than a queen who only knows how to believe in the words of an ancient prophecy."

Katherine applauded mockingly, "Then what are you standing around here for, Elena? You know where you have to be and judging from the hint of a chain on Damon's neck, he has the key to the place. Run along, my little forgetful doppelganger, there's one last piece to complete the puzzle before the king is to fight."

* * *

"The tomb? Again? This is the mysterious place Katherine was rattling off about?" Damon said incredulously as they walked inside, seal broken permanently by Bonnie and Alaric together, who waited outside to stand as lookout "Is there no other interesting place in Mystic Falls?"

"Damon…" Elena said exasperated with his impatience. Damon looked at her curiously, the side of his mouth turned up in mild amusement. "What?" she asked in annoyance

"Are you sure you don't remember being Elena?" Damon asked, smirking at her as she stomped ahead, "You sure do sound like her now—annoyed…as if you think I'm immature."

"Fragments are coming back, blurred images, mostly of you being a pest," Elena said shaking her head, "Why I ever fell for you this lifetime is a mystery…I wish it would speed up…I wish I'll remember everything before…"

"We run out of time?" Damon continued with a sad sort of smile, "I'd rather you never remember but in exchange I'll have an eternity to make you fall for me all over again, live through it a second time if I could but looks like my three wishes ran out a long time ago and the damn genie in the lamp was killed by Katherine."

Elena nodded, not trusting herself to speak as the tears threatened to fall from her eyes, speaking only when they faced the stone wall, "You have the key?"

Damon nodded and she turned her attention once again to the wall, touching her hand to the rock directly in front of her until it glowed beneath her touch, light breaking through every crevice until the brightness was blinding.

The wall vanished and before them was a narrow staircase that spiraled down endlessly. Elena took Damon's hand and silently they went down the steps, the only sound was the trickling water that fell in tiny drops around them. They reached the bottom after an immeasurable amount of time, the air around them turning cool as they entered a crypt, enchanted that it was as if they were underneath a canopy of stars and a full moon. In the middle of the room, floating above the ground was a small wooden box with its surface filled with ornate carvings and a small keyhole in the middle. The familiarity of the object struck a chord with Damon and involuntarily he reached a hand out towards it but not close enough to touch.

"It's the same night sky, Damon," Elena said wistfully, beginning to lose herself in her memories, "a portion of that life encased in this room. The first time you broke my heart and here you are about to do it again. Go ahead, open it."

_The king secured the ropes that held his belongings in place on the back of the horse. He paused and looked up at the sky, deep in thought that he didn't notice the light footsteps behind him._

"_Tired of my company so soon, my king?" the queen said lightly, "Am I not worth even the dignity of a farewell?"_

"_You deserve far more, my queen," he replied as he turned to her with a pained smile, "but I thought it was kinder to not put you through that pain."_

"_You are confusing, kindness with cowardice, my king," the queen said sharply, "This is cruelty to leave with just a paltry message with your brother."_

"_Ah, he told you too soon," the king said with a knowing smile, "I should have accounted for the soft spot he has for you."_

"_Take me with you," the queen said abruptly, her tone switching to desperation, "I can help you."_

"_No," the king said plainly._

"_I refuse to be left behind. This isn't your choice alone. If you're willing to risk everything then I'm not letting you do it alone!" the queen said in protest, her temper rising with every word._

"_I can't protect you!" the king exclaimed, his own emotions matching hers, "It will only take a second for my enemies to kill you. I can't be distracted with your safety. It is far too dangerous for you. You are safer away from me. My brother will watch over you."_

"_I am not a child," the queen said defiantly, "I will not be treated like one. I have decided to go with you."_

"_No," the king repeated firmly, taking her hands in his, placing them over his heart, "if you really love me then you'll give me this. Stay here."_

"_Why aren't you saying you will return to me?" the queen whispered as she leaned her head on his chest, "Can't you even lie about that?"_

_He didn't reply, instead he pulled gently away from her, and took from his neck a small key, "Keep this. Give it to our son when he's born. He needs to learn the words to break the seal in case I never return."_

"_No, I will wait for you," the queen said her tears finally flowing from her face, "Our son will learn it from you."_

_The king kept his mouth shut, his jaw tight as he controlled as he kept his own tears at bay, "Goodbye, my queen. Tell my son how much I've waited to meet him and I'm sorry I might never will. Tell him how much I love him. My queen, I love you. Goodbye."_

"I lost him that night, Damon," Elena said in a hollow voice, "the blood dripped underneath me as I stood watching the emptiness that you left behind. I never got to tell him, Damon, any of the words you wanted me to say. I never…Our son...he never...he's dead..."

Damon folded her in his arms, forgetting the key, the box and every danger that waited for them outside. His eyes remained vacant, unable to process the information as Elena sobbed in his arms, the loss hitting him with every tear that fell from her eyes. Regret, guilt and pain washing over him, wave after wave, each stronger than the last, almost taking him under.

"I've lost too much, Damon," Elena said quietly, "Do you understand why I held out for so long? Trying to keep the truth about who you are so I wouldn't mark you? I can't lose you."

Damon nodded, still unable to form words or complete a thought other than the heartbreak that was threatening to consume him. He pulled himself away from her, walking towards the box and opened it, taking the slip of paper inside, reading it once and committing the contents to memory before shredding it to pieces.

"You won't," Damon said taking her face in his hands, wiping her tears with his thumb, "I promise you. I will do everything to survive this and take Klaus down. I'm never leaving you. Not again. Not ever."

Elena nodded, willing herself to believe him, finally hearing the words she only dreamed of, and wishing that her traitorous heart would accept what her memories were forcing away.

"_What did you see? Where is he?" the queen said the shaman in a panicked voice as he collapsed on the ground, his despair not allowing his legs to support him, "What did you see?"_

_The shaman gasped, unable to breathe, the horror still alive in his mind as the words repeated ominously in his head, "The king…the king…the answer is here but…but…"_

"_But what? Tell me!" the queen said already in hysterics, dreading the words that she already knew will come._

"_A different time…a hundred, or maybe a thousand," the shaman mumbled incoherently, "death, so much death. Blood and darkness. The king in so much darkness. He is lost within himself. He is lost in this life. But in the next…the next…maybe…if I can find a way…maybe."_

_The shaman stood up abruptly, spinning in place wildly as if searching for something, stopping finally when he saw the queen, "You! It will be you! You will curse him! He will remember who he is because of you! You will lead him to his death! His enemies will know him because you will be their guide! He will die because you will show the way!"_

"_He will have to die for Aztlan's peace," the shaman continued in a haunted whisper, "his life for everything else. It's the only way and you will be the key. You will know him because you love him. Your love will be his death."_

Damon held Elena in his arms, eyes tightly shut in concentration, his mind trying to work out every single possibility and which one in the thousand answers is the right one that will let him keep his life and save everyone else. The words he memorized floating in his mind, taunting him to use them now, calling out to the king that lay inside him.

"I love you, Elena," he whispered to her as a wolf howled into the night, followed by the strangled cry of the First, the Original—Klaus, and the false sky above them opened up to reveal the real one that framed the full moon.

It had begun.


	7. Chapter 7: On a night like this

**By the light of the moon**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.**

**Chapter 7: On a night like this**

Elena didn't ask a thing—there wasn't any time for it. All she knew was that one second she was secure in Damon's arms and now he held her behind him, forcing her back in an attempt to shield her from the violence that tore through the night. She strained forward, trying to gain even just an inch and see what was going on but Damon was determined to keep her out of sight for as long as he could.

But Elena saw enough. She saw the bared fangs, dripping with blood and Damon was powerless to keep her from hearing the low, menacing growls from the monsters before them. The earth trembled as shafts of light broke through the ground, power shooting up in bursts as Klaus called upon it with ancient words as Tyler could only snap his teeth in protest. Klaus eyes glowed red as the beams of light filtered through his skin and imbued him with added strength, while Tyler relied on the continuous chanting of the shaman and the witch to bring him close to barely a fighting chance. It was just like that night the king left, the night she lost everything—husband, son and hope. The night Klaus first attacked centuries ago and here they were once more.

The two creatures circled each other, orbiting the moon above them in perfect circles, holding steady as the floor beneath them shuddered right before the collision. In reality it was only a matter of seconds but Elena watched in a horrified daze the suspended animation of flesh being torn from bone, blood trickling out before gushing in torrents in the midst of anguished howls, the echo of pain carrying through every fiber of her being.

Elena buried her face in Damon's back, wishing the horror away but reality set in when she felt Damon's muscles tense as he whispered to her, "When I tell you to run, you run and you don't look back….even if you hear me call out, dying, begging and pleading, you don't turn around. Understand?"

She shook her head, protesting mutely, unable to even feel the tears that flowed down her face as Tyler slammed against a tree, whimpering as he slid down towards a frantic Caroline. Elena watched as Bonnie faltered, nose bleeding as she continued to chant, renewing Tyler's energy even as he bled profusely.

"Elena, on my count, one…" Damon said slowly pulling Elena to his right, away from Klaus, shifting so her movement would be shielded from notice, "two…"

"No, I'm not leaving, you need me," Elena said fighting him but was obviously no match for his strength.

"I know. I need you—alive. And that's exactly why you need to run," Damon hissed, deciding to turn around to face her, "We don't have time to argue about this, Elena. Just, please, ru—"

"Three." Klaus said, his arm already on Elena's neck, holding her hostage, "Save the world or save her life? What will it be, your _majesty_? Or will you run like the last time and leave her to die?"

"She won't die by your hands, Klaus," Katherine called out casually, leaning against a tree, watching them with a bored air, "I've always wondered why you only chased, threatened and instilled fear in me. But I was never in any danger, was I? At least not from you. Never. Not really. And I think that applies to Elena as well."

Klaus ignored her and kept his eyes on Damon, choking Elena as his grip tightened on her neck, "The parchment, give it to me."

"Don't give it, Damon," Stefan called out from behind Katherine, walking slowly towards them, the waves of power that Klaus controlled pushing him back, "Without it he can't summon the power. He can only hold on to fragments at a time…never enough and not for more than a few seconds."

"I couldn't even if I wanted to, "Damon said his jaw tight, fists clenched at his sides, "I tore it into pieces. You might as well let her go because you're not getting anything from me, Klaus. "

"Then say the words," Stefan said with urgency ignoring everyone else, "Take the power now, Damon."

"In a minute, Stefan," Damon said impatiently, "Kinda busy trying to save Elena, in case you haven't noticed."

Klaus' shock quickly turned into fury before choosing denial, "You lie." He muttered a few words and suddenly a flash of light whipped around them, blinding them as it surged up and formed a cage, keeping everyone away, "The words, Damon. Give them to me now or you're going to watch me drain every single drop of blood from her body."

"Oh, I think he's telling the truth, Klaus, "Katherine said malevolently, "Damon's not that brand of manipulative. I have no doubt that he's destroyed it beyond repair, Klaus. Annoying, isn't it?"

"Shut up, Katerina, or—" Klaus said but Katherine cut him off.

"Or what? Nothing, Klaus. You won't hurt me or Elena. You never could," Katherine said rolling her eyes as she sauntered forward, "And I finally figured out why."

Flames burst into life around her, a warning which Katherine did not heed as she plowed on with her narration. "Look up, Klaus. Look at the moon. It is quite the same like that night. Don't you remember?"

Klaus only growled louder in response, his patience wearing thin but he made no move to stop Katherine this time, "Perfect timing to stage an assault—the king had just abandoned Aztlan and the palace was yours to turn upside down in search of the words that would make you greater than any creature that ever walked this earth. Of course, the wolves tried to beat you to it and they got as far as the royal chambers before you killed the great wolf. Do you recall _why_ you did? It wasn't for the power, I'm sure. Come on, Klaus, say it."

Klaus shook in obvious anger and opened his mouth but nothing came out. It was Elena who answered instead, "You saved me."

"Of course he did," Katherine said inching her way towards Klaus, "How can he let the one woman who ever showed him compassion and mercy to die? How can he let her be killed by his greatest enemy?"

Katherine sighed dramatically before continuing, "See the ironic thing is that you should have killed the queen, Klaus. Wasn't she the keeper of the key? The last obstacle to your neverending quest for the ultimate power? And yet you spared her and even showed remorse when you realized that you weren't able to save her unborn son?"

"Do not take a step further," Klaus said evenly, "It was a moment of weakness that will not be repeated, Katerina."

"Of course not," Katherine said mockingly, "It was a long time ago. Your feelings, surely, would have changed since then. Surely…you don't still love her?"

Katherine allowed her voice to trail off as she walked through the barrier that separated them, piercing the veil of magic as if it were nothing, "Can you still smell it? I'm sure you haven't forgotten the scent of the blood of a child who died in the womb of his mother—the blood you never wanted to spill. Do you remember the sound of her silence as she mourned the loss of her son? Oh, you wanted to save him but you only succeeded in sparing the life of the mother—the queen, the keeper of the key. You had your chance to kill the last person who stood in your way and yet you stopped to keep her from harm."

Katherine stopped squarely in front of them and took a deep breath, "You're not holding her tight enough for it to hurt, Klaus. You still love me. You still love _her._"

Silence fell, the magic around them stilled for just one endless second that Katherine smiled, a real and anguished emotion playing off her face as she spoke to the one she resembled, "Elena, the queen can only hold power when she is whole. It's your only hope for survival. And it's my only chance for redemption. Make it count."

With a deep breath, Katherine spoke unfamiliar words that only Elena understood, the last she would ever say, "I return unto myself, one spirit, one body…one life."

Katherine was suddenly surrounded by a halo of light, illuminating her as if from within, before she hit the ground—motionless...dead.

In the same moment, Elena fell limp in Klaus arms, shocking him that his defenses flickered in the slightest, something that didn't escape the notice of Tyler who had barely just recovered and charged straight for the vampire.

"Damon! Now!" Stefan yelled as he saw what was happening, his voice almost lost in the cacophony of sound that erupted when Klaus realized his mistake. Chanting, howling and power crackling around them with such great intensity filled their ears until it was almost unbearable.

"Trust me, brother," Stefan pleaded, "It has to be done. It's the only way to kill Klaus. Do it. _Now._"

Damon shook his head, his lips in a thin line as he looked on, torn between just writing it all down for the monster to doing right by the world. He watched as Klaus used one hand to block Tyler's attack while keeping Elena even closer with the other. Damon shook his head, finally making his decision, "I know. Just…just save her Stefan and leave the rest to me."

Damon opened his mouth and the ancient language poured out naturally, rolling off his tongue like the words were meant only for him to say. His voice was commanding as he continued to speak, strengthening until everything went still under his spell. Damon could feel the power rushing towards him, consuming him that he almost lost consciousness but then he felt the unexpected sensation of the flow ebbing until it stopped completely. And then he heard it—Stefan chanting along with him, one hand on his arm and the other palm extended towards the lifeless body of Katherine. Tyler howled in chorus with them like a haunting accompaniment.

"Don't do this Stefan," Damon said, momentarily surprised by the unnatural clarity of his voice, the sheer power each word carried now as the power settled in him, "Your body won't be able to handle even just a portion of the power. Stop it, Stefan. You'll die."

"But Elena won't," Stefan countered, "And that's the only thing that counts. I've got this all figured out, Damon. If I'm right then it's all going to be okay. She's going to live."

"And if you're wrong?" Damon asked pointedly, gripping his brother's arm, "We'll all be dead. Stop it, Stefan."

The younger Salvatore merely smiled and continued. When the last word left Stefan's lips, when the power of Aztlan was completely released and transferred to them, all hell broke loose.

Klaus cried out, his wrath palpable as he bared his fangs, directing his anger towards the woman in his arms. He was blinded by his anger that he could no longer distinguish love from hate, desire and rage. He only understood the bloodlust and the need to kill. His head reared back, fully intent on draining her of blood in revenge but he never even made contact. Elena's eyes flew open, bright with power, her own strength freeing her from Klaus' clutches.

The Original staggered but was still standing, facing off with the ones who now held the power of Aztlan in all its glory. "The power was never meant to be shared. You're violating the laws of nature, you will never win this way," Klaus seethed angrily, sensing the odds have turned against him, but ignoring it as he charged forward to meet them head on.

Tyler was first to attack, bounding on all fours before leaping into the air to pounce. His aim was sure and he pushed Klaus to ground, biting off a chunk of his shoulder before the vampire locked his own fangs on whatever part he could latch onto. But the power inside Tyler rebounded on Klaus, causing the vampire unimaginable pain. Klaus howled and writhed in pain, in the process somehow throwing off Tyler. Klaus stood unsteadily, his legs shaking, his chest heaving as he made a move to attack again, this time targeting the seemingly weakest of them all, the one who faltered under the weight of the power—Stefan.

But he wasn't even able to take a single step.

"Enough," Damon's voice boomed, rippling through everyone and everything with such intensity that commanded them to do as he said.

Klaus resisted but Elena held him in place, her mind powerful enough to compel him to follow with just one look. He returned the look with one of a man who was tortured by the loss of a love that was never his to begin with. With herculean effort he turned to Damon, facing the inevitable fate that awaited him at the hands of the king of Aztlan, the one who has the power to destroy the monsters that never should have been brought to life.

Damon strode to him with a single purpose—to kill. Unable to move or speak, Klaus could only watch as the king's hand burned white-hot through him, clutching his heart and pulling it out and crushing it in his grip. Barely a second later had the wolf ripped off his head as if he were merely a rag doll.

The Original ceased to exist. The First was no more.

But there was no time to celebrate. The power was slowly burning through those who carried it. Caroline ran towards Tyler, breaking free of Bonnie's hold on her, not listening to the witch's pleas to run knowing what will come next. Caroline fell on her knees unsure how to hold Tyler, who slowly and painfully transformed and reformed into a wolf, the instability of the power manifesting in his form. He screamed, cried and clutched at whatever he could but it didn't help. Nothing could.

Stefan fell to the ground, clutching his head in pain, his body disintegrating by the second, light shooting out through his skin, burning through it as the power fought to be free of its human cage. Every single thought escaped his mind as agony filled every single part of his body. But as he neared the end, he no longer had reason to resist what he knew for a while now. He found enough will to reach out to hold the hand of the woman he should have learned to love without hesitation—Katherine.

Damon held out his hand to Elena, motioning for her to come closer. "Die in my arms?" he asked with a forced smile on his face.

Elena stepped into his waiting arms, trying to quell the overwhelming surge of power through her veins, an agonizing reminder that it wasn't over just yet. "Just in case we don't have tomorrow…I thought you should know that I love you."

"Is that why you kept trying to save me all this time? I never would have imagined you falling for the psychopathic vampire," Damon said trying to keep the mood light as he held her close, his eyes sealed shut as he tried to block out the burning sensation that wanted to claim every part of him. He fought to keep talking, "Don't tell anyone but I love you too. Take the secret to the grave?"

"I promise." Elena whispered, her voice faltering with the effort of blocking out the imminent explosion within her. Damon smiled, lifted her chin with his finger and kissed her softly as tears fell unwillingly from his eyes before he gave in to the emptiness.

And then there was only silence.

* * *

**A/_N: Just one chapter to go :) Hope you enjoyed this updated and that you'll read on to the end . Thanks for reading!_**


	8. Chapter 8: A new dawn

**By the light of the moon**

**Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.**

**Chapter 8: A new dawn**

The little boy weaved through the seemingly endless rows of headstones and freshly dug graves. He ran as fast as his little legs would carry him, his blue eyes bright with excitement and laughter, barely looking at where he was going because he knew the place like the back of his hand. It was a considerable feat given he was only five and he didn't live in Mystic Falls. To him, this cemetery was just another playground.

* * *

_The smell of the freshly dug earth wafted to Damon's nose, irritating him, reminding him of death and what he lost…what he was burying today. He kept a stern expression on his face, focusing on keeping his eyes set in a stony glare as he tried hard not to blink…so the tears wouldn't fall. But Elena's soft touch on his arm, followed by her head leaning gently on his shoulder destroyed his resolve and he had to close his eyes to keep his emotions in check._

_Damon blinked his eyes open to watch the grave filling up with soil, hiding away a part of him forever and forcing him to let go of the brother he always said he hated. He laughed bitterly on the inside how it was that he was the one alive when it was Stefan who most deserved the happy ending. _

_But then he shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind, failing miserably. Damon placed a hand over Elena's, reaching out with the other hand to wipe the silent tears that fell from her eyes. He looked around at the people with him, those who mourned with him and stood by him when they had every reason to loathe him. Forgiveness it seemed was not beyond his reach and somehow it soothed the emptiness Damon felt._

_One by one, they stepped forward to drop a single white rose into the grave. Alaric and Jenna started; both said a silent prayer before quickly making way for Tyler to pay his respects. He was pushed forward in his wheelchair by Caroline, his old arrogance completely gone and replaced by a certain humility, the unexpected effect of being declared permanently paralyzed waist down, an unfortunate consequence of the battle with Klaus and the excessive power that destroyed parts of him. _

_Caroline knelt and touched the earth before throwing in her own rose as she cried openly before Stefan's grave. It was hard to lose someone who believed in her, especially when there were not many of those in her life. It was difficult to lose a friend who saw past the face, the tactless comments and simply trusted in her goodness. Caroline looked up only to meet Damon's eyes, finding that they both looked like lost children and didn't have a grown up's hand to hold on to. _

_Jeremy came forward, his jaw set as he faced another loss in his life. Stefan was the ideal older brother who looked out for him, not just because of his sister but because he was that kind of guy. It was Stefan who showed him that there was a choice to everything, that even if you were cursed it didn't mean you had to be the monster people believed you to be. _

_Bonnie took her place beside Jeremy and tossed in her rose, wondering how they came to this point. She could still remember when she was just beginning to come into her powers, manifesting as a strange psychic ability she never took seriously. Now, here they were burying one of the good guys, someone who saved her life more than once before. It wasn't right. The world will never be right. _

_Elena took a deep breath as everyone else made way for her and Damon to step forward. She felt Damon's hand release her, letting her go first. With shaky legs, she placed one foot in front of the other, concentrating on simply walking and trying to block out the sense of finality that was ringing in her ears. Elena wanted to scream, laugh hysterically and weep all at the same time. She wanted to be numb and not feel the pain that washed over her in endless waves. Elena wanted to get rid of the heavy weight of her guilt over not loving Stefan, who loved her so much. She wanted to turn back time and wish away Stefan ever coming back to Mystic Falls and saving her from that car accident…maybe then he'd still be alive._

_But just when she felt she was going to lose everything to regret, a strong hand steadied her, helping her take those final steps towards Stefan's final resting place. Damon nodded to her as he threw in a single white rose, "It's time to say goodbye, Elena. We need to let him go."_

"_I don't want to," Elena whispered in a small voice, "There are so many things I could have done differently…maybe I could have…maybe this wouldn't have happened…if only I…"_

"_Elena, there is no 'if only' or 'what if' in everything that happened," Damon said softly, "I know you have so many questions but even if you get those answers, nothing will change. He's dead and we're not. We have to keep living or his sacrifice will be wasted. Let go, Elena."_

_Elena looked up at him, searching his eyes, "How can you ask me to do something you can't do yourself?"_

_Damon sighed before giving her a tortured smile, placing a hand over his chest, still unnerved by the steady beat that pounded away inside, "I'm the brother who wanted him dead and/or miserable for the rest of eternity and I actually made good on that promise for a good part of the last century, so I'm the only one who has the license to feel remorse until the day my heart stops beating again. It's all on me, Elena, not you. Besides, he'll haunt me if I don't help you get through this. So…ladies first," he said gesturing for Elena to leave the rose like everyone else before them._

_Damon knelt by the edge after Elena had done as he had asked, a tear finally slipping through the cracks, releasing only a fragment of his turbulent emotions. "Remember when we rescued Elena?" he said to Stefan's casket that was barely visible now, "that night you told me, you forced me to turn because you needed your big brother? What if I told you the tables have turned and it's my turn to need my kid brother? This humanity crap was your dream, not mine, and I'm the one stuck with it. I'm living your dream, Stefan, and you won't even get to see it or laugh at me as I attempt to be someone I think I was never meant to be."_

_Damon took a deep breath and stood up to watch the grave to be filled, waiting for it to be over. He didn't know how long he stood there just looking. _

"_Damon," Elena said quietly, placing a hand on his arm, calling his attention gently, "It's time to go."_

"_I know," he responded, not facing her as he continued, "I'm leaving, Elena…just for a little while."_

_Elena's head turned sharply to him in alarm, "What? That's not…Damon…?"_

"_I'm coming back, I promise," Damon said stubbornly looking ahead, not daring to face Elena lest he lose his resolve, "Just be with your family, spend time with them without me to distract you…because when I come back I'm never leaving you and we'll get started on that life together I think I may have promised you at one point or another."_

_Damon finally turned to face her, his hands cupping her face as he spoke again, "I'm broken, Elena. I lost my brother. In more than a century, I've never really known how to live without him and our complicated history with him means I need to figure out how to live with that loss or we'll never work this out. I love you and I'm coming back for you. Trust me."_

_Elena could only nod and watch as he walked away from her, wondering if her heart could take it if he never did return._

_

* * *

_"Sam!" his mother called out to him with an urgency that was sure to increase as the minutes passed.

Sam merely giggled and kept running towards the trees where he was somehow sure that there would be a stream nearby. He kept going until a hand snatched him up and his feet lost contact with the ground, a fresh round of laughter ringing in the air.

"Shhh," Damon said placing a finger to the boy's lips as he set the boy down gently, wiping away the matted hair on Sam's forehead as he knelt down to talk, "where do you think you're going, young man?"

"The stream," Sam responded matter-of-factly, as if it should have been obvious to Damon.

"And why are you going there?" Damon asked genuinely curious, raising an eyebrow at Sam.

"It's important," Sam insisted, slowing growing frustrated that he was being asked all these questions when he could already be by the water, "Please, can we go? I just want to see."

"Sam!" Elena yelled again panic rising in her voice that induced a look of guilt mixed with fear on Sam's face.

Damon rolled his eyes and picked up his son, "Let's get back to your mother before she reaches a higher note on the scale and alerts everyone within a five mile radius that we're back in town. It's going to ruin the whole surprise element. I promise I'll take you to get a good look at that stream before we leave but for now you're going to have to settle for getting a view of the cemetery while sitting on my shoulders. Sound good, kiddo?"

Sam nodded vigorously and climbed on his father's shoulders, his short legs firmly locked in place by his Damon's hands.

They hadn't walked far when they saw Elena hurrying towards them, a worried look on her face, one exceedingly familiar to Damon.

* * *

"_You look stressed and worried, though still absolutely stunning," Damon called out from the far side of the porch, walking up to Elena casually, hands both tucked into his pockets._

_Elena frowned, keeping her hand on the doorknob, "It's the result of worrying if someone was still alive or lying in a ditch somewhere."_

"_Sorry?" Damon said, his apology more of a question than a statement, annoying Elena even more._

"_I don't think you are," Elena pointed out, crossing her arms in front of her._

"_Yeah, I'm really not," Damon said smiling, reaching out and pulling her in his arms, "I'm guessing you missed me, which is a good thing. It means you still love me and the whole out of sight, out of mind thing is a complete fabrication."_

_Elena stubbornly stayed still even as his arms went around her, "You could have at least called once in a while."_

"_Elena," Damon started patiently, "if I heard your voice I would have come running back way before I should have."_

"_What if something happened?" Elena challenged, "You'd never have known."_

"_Ah, but nothing did. And even if something did happen, Tyler had all my contact information so that he could alert me," Damon said._

"_Tyler?" Elena said, curiosity making her forget her anger._

"_Yeah," Damon shrugged, "He's the one who still sort of hates me the most so he has no incentive to see me back so soon…unless it's an absolute emergency. Besides, the kid can keep a secret whereas Caroline would crack the minute you start playing truth or dare. Same goes for anyone in your household or Alaric, who I heard from the grapevine practically moved in. And since Bonnie was also on a mission to find her inner witch or whatever, I basically had no choice with my secret keeper. Can we just forgive and forget? I'm here aren't I, isn't that the important part?"_

_Elena glared at him before finally giving up and sighing, "It's the only thing that matters."_

_

* * *

_"There you are!" Elena exclaimed, the tension fading from her when she set her eyes on her son.

Elena reached for Sam and folded him in her arms, "Don't ever run away like that again, okay?"

"Sorry, mom," Sam said sincerely, his voice muffled as he buried his face in her hair, his little arms locked on Elena's neck, "I just really wanted to see the stream."

"Why?" Elena asked, pulling away to get a good look at her son as they walked back, perplexed at his statement.

"It's important," Sam said, sounding slightly exasperated at having to repeat his answer to another parent.

Damon smirked, "At least we know he doesn't play favorites—our dear boy gave me the same answer earlier. Maybe third time's the charm, Elena. Let me try again. So, Sam, what do you mean by the stream being important? It's just…water. We also have that at home. It's nothing new."

"Uncle Stefan said it's important." Sam said absently as he rubbed off some dirt on his arm, "He said to visit him there."

Alarmed, Damon exchanged a look with Elena as she set their son down on the ground. "Kiddo," Damon continued, "He's dead. See his tombstone right there? It says Stefan Salvatore, dead 10 years ago—the permanent kind."

Elena glared at Damon, who raised his hands and went on, "Alright, fine, it doesn't say_ exactly_ that. But it's close enough and it drives home the point I'm trying to make, Elena."

Elena shook her head and turned to her son, "Sam, what your father is trying to say is what do you mean Uncle Stefan told you it's important? _How_ did he tell you?"

Sam frowned and looked hesitantly at both of them before continuing, "In a dream…Uncle Stefan was teaching me how to play football. He even said you taught him that. Then he said to visit him at the stream. He said it was beautiful this time of year. He wanted to see me and he had a gift for me."

"Damon," Elena said shaking her head, eyes full of anxiety, "I don't like the sound of this. We should go. Someone's playing with us."

Damon merely shrugged his shoulders and took Sam's hand, "Relax, Elena. It's probably nothing. Just a dream, like he said. I promised I'll take him and I will. I won't let him out of my sight, you have my word."

Elena wasn't convinced, not letting go of Sam's other hand, he took Damon's other hand and placed it on his own chest, "Can you feel that?"

"Yes, Elena," Damon said impatiently, "I can feel my own heartbeat, thank you. It's been pounding away inside me for ten years now."

"Exactly," Elena said pulling away, whispering fiercely, taking advantage of Sam being distracted by a stray butterfly to address Damon directly, "And that sound should remind you that you don't hear things a mile away. Somehow, you're stronger than normal but you're not nearly impossible to kill anymore. So can you not unnecessarily risk your life?"

"Relax, take a deep breath and let it out. We'll be fine. If you want, call the witch—," Damon said, pausing when Sam gasped and looked up at him, "I said _witch_, Sam, not the B-word. Don't worry. I'm not going to be sent to my room. It's not a bad word. Anyway, as I was saying, call her and tell her to check out what Sam saw. "

"I don't know," Elena said hesitantly, "Maybe we can at least wait until Tyler and Caroline get here."

"Hey, hey, look at me," Damon said seriously, "We've defied the impossible more than once in this lifetime and survived near misses with an apocalypse and prophecies. I know we've been dealing with changing diapers and our daily worries are now focused on what college Sam will get into years from now or what color paint to use for the kitchen, but I think I can handle a simple trip to the stream. Come on, Elena, live a little and trust me to protect our son—even if I am a frail human now."

"Fine, but I'm calling Bonnie," Elena said, rearranging the flowers on Stefan's grave nervously, fear gripping her as her mind went through the possibilities.

Damon nodded as he picked up Sam, leading his small family back towards the stream, hiding his own concern as they walked, anxiously waiting for Elena to finish her call with Bonnie.

"She's coming right over…they're just waiting for Caroline to finish ironing her hair," Elena said, ignoring Damon's snort at finding it humorous that if they truly were in danger, Caroline will come to save the day with perfect hair.

The sun glinted off the surface of the water making it sparkle, mesmerizing the young boy who was practically jumping out of his father's arms in excitement.

"Okay, Sam," Damon said setting down his son, holding him in place with his hands, "you have five minutes to be amazed by this very important stream and then we have to go. Stay where we can see you or no TV, chocolates or anything remotely fun until you're forty. Understand?"

Sam nodded solemnly before turning around to run to the edge of the stream, plunging his small hand into the water and splashing it on himself, playing around as if it were the most wonderful thing in the world.

"I met him here," Elena whispered looking at the water, "I got scared…the whole crow and the fog, something I've never thanked you for, by the way."

Damon smiled, arms encircling Elena from behind, "You're welcome. Glad to know someone appreciated my theatrics as a vampire."

Elena shook her head, trying to suppress a smile, "Anyway, Stefan found me, bloody leg and all," she sighed before continuing, her eyes trained on her son, "I can't believe he's gone, Damon. Just like that. Somewhere inside me, I really believed he would live forever. I can't believe he did that…"

Damon closed his eyes and rested his chin on the top of her head as they both watched Sam, "Elena, he did it for you and I'd like to think, maybe even for me."

"You think he knew we'd survive?" Elena asked quietly, "…you think he knew what it would do to us?"

Damon shrugged, "Maybe. Probably. Or he just lucked out that the supernatural stuff absorbed all that energy and died with it—vampire, werewolf and in your case, evil bitch doppelganger, all dead…leaving us like this—a little bit more than human. Either way, I'm pretty sure he imagined the happily ever after we're living right now. I'm sure I never did."

Suddenly Sam let out a piercing scream, paralyzing them with fear for a split second before they rushed towards the boy.

Damon reached him first and grabbed him, lifting him off the ground as Elena hurriedly inspected the boy for injuries, "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"I'm okay…I just found something…" Sam said sheepishly, trailing off as he opened his palm to reveal a ring, "Look it's like Dad's ring."

Elena picked it up and locked eyes with Damon, who nodded to confirm it was Stefan's ring, "Where did you get this?"

Sam pointed to the ground where an old leather-bound book was hidden beneath a pile of leaves. Elena shook her head, "Damon? Damon? I'm pretty sure we buried that ring with him. Oh my, where the hell is Bonnie? I'm going to pull out Caroline's hair. Damon, are you listening?"

Damon tuned her out, drawn towards the book that was achingly familiar to him on account of having made fun of it so many times—Stefan's diary. A sudden gust stopped him in his tracks and when he blinked the world had changed. He looked around and found he was alone.

"Elena! Sam!" Damon called out, "Not funny. Not the time for hide and seek..."

He stopped in his tracks when he saw Stefan looking at him with an amused expression on his face.

"What the…" Damon said, the color draining completely from his face, "Am I dead?"

Stefan laughed aloud, "No, Damon, you're not. This is just…just a visit. One I won't make again. I just wanted to check in on you…make sure you're on the right track and I didn't give up the girl for nothing…that kind of thing."

"Yeah, well you didn't and in case you decide on a second visit, might I suggest something less shocking? I am no longer safe from heart attacks, in case you've forgotten," Damon said glaring at Stefan.

"Noted," Stefan said smiling as he stood next to his brother, looking at the distance, "So, I see you've been busy. Sam's growing up so fast. You must be so proud to have a son like that."

"Too fast," Damon said, "I'm afraid of even missing a second of his life. I just wish he never has to see even a fraction of what we went through."

Stefan only smiled, "How are _you_ doing, brother?"

"Are you going to force me to say I miss you because it sounds like you will…" Damon said lightly, turning serious, "because I do. Everyday. Sometimes I imagine what if I took your place…"

Stefan picked up a small pebble and threw it towards the water, waiting for it to sink before speaking, "It was my choice and my part to play, Damon. I knew what would happen when I made the choice to jump in that chasm. It was part of Aztlan, a small portion that cleansed the vampire from me, giving me life again. I figured that it would do the same to you when you took the power…and everyone else, as long as it wasn't too much."

"But since you were human when you did it again…it killed you." Damon continued, "Why didn't you just let us do it? You could have told us and we would have done it…you'd still be alive."

Stefan shook his head, "It required my blood, Damon. That's why even in this lifetime we were born as brothers just as before in Aztlan. Your blood to call out the power and mine to keep it from destroying."

"So why the hell didn't you do that when you still had an undead life to spare?" Damon asked incredulous.

"Because I had to make sure Katherine didn't use the power in the cave to turn human…or she wouldn't have had the chance to do what she did that saved Elena's life." Stefan answered, "It had to be me, Damon. Let's just leave it at that."

"So what comes next?" Damon said after a few moments of silence, "Is this some ominous warning or something?"

"Your life with Elena…happily ever after…anything, basically," Stefan said, "This is just the goodbye I never got to say, brother. That's all."

Damon nodded silently, unwilling to speak and show how affected he was, "So goodbye then, Stefan."

"Goodbye, Damon," Stefan said, "Do me a favor?"

"Anything," Damon replied.

"Tell Sam about me?" Stefan asked, "I'd like to be part of his life somehow…and give my diary to Elena, thank her for me…for letting me love her even if she was never going to be mine."

With those last words the world righted itself again and suddenly Damon was back staring at Stefan's diary on the ground.

"Damon!" Elena called out again, shaking him to attention, "What's wrong? Is that…?"

Damon nodded absently as he picked it up and handed it to his wife, "Here. Take it. He wanted you to have it."

Elena looked at him, completely confused but took the journal anyway, "Damon, what's going on? You're scaring me."

Damon kissed her on the forehead and picked up Sam, "We'll talk about it later, okay?"

Sam yawned and tugged on his father's shirt, "Can we go home? I want to take a nap."

Damon smiled, "Then let's go home."

With his free hand, Damon took Elena's into his as he held Sam close to him, content knowing that finally their past was truly behind them and there was only their shared future to look forward to.

-Fin

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**_A/N: Hope you enjoyed this story. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! :)_**


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